Trades Facility Construction

Oregon Coast Advanced Technology & Trades (OCATT) Center

Currently Under Construction in Newport

Funded by Lincoln County voters in May 2024

Project Highlights: August 2026

Construction on the new OCATT building is visibly taking shape this month. Crews finished pouring the final section of the building’s concrete slab in early August, and exterior walls are now going up alongside the building’s glulam columns — the sturdy wood beams that will support its roof structure. Siding and roofing are on track for October, after which work will shift indoors, with the building ready for equipment move-in by March 2027 and full completion in June 2027. Meanwhile, other bond-funded improvements are wrapping up across campus: HVAC and security upgrades at the North and Central campuses, roof and interior work at North Center, and floor and lighting improvements in the Aquarium Science building are all on pace to finish before fall classes begin. Looking ahead, OCCC’s Executive Leadership has approved design work on a final round of 2027 renovations — including updated commons spaces, kitchen and bookstore improvements, and new lactation rooms — set for construction in summer 2027 to complete the bond program voters approved in May 2024.

By the Numbers (as of August 2026)

$46.8M — total bond program funding to date (bond sale + state matching grant + other income)
$39.2M — committed to contracts and design across all bond projects
$13.95M — spent to date (36% of committed costs)
June 2027 — target completion for OCATT occupancy
$2.4M+ — invested in local Lincoln County contractors so far, including Ground FX Landscaping, JCC Construction, Three Rocks Electrical & Plumbing, and RK Excavation

The OCATT Project: Trades Education & More for Lincoln County

On May 21, 2024, voters in Lincoln County approved a bond measure referred by OCCC to build a center for trades education and update and upgrade existing college facilities.

Initial plans for the Oregon Coast Advanced Technology & Trades (OCATT) Center were first drafted in 2017. The center will greatly expand pre-apprenticeship training and programming for county residents, as well as offer a variety of certificates and degrees in the marine, technical, and construction trades. All proposed OCATT programming will ultimately be subject to NWCCU approval, as well as demand and feasibility assessments. As of summer 2026, programs anticipated for the building’s first years of operation include the following (note: any program launched must first receive approval from various entities including the College’s accrediting agency, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities):

Construction/Carpentry Skills Development
Pre-Apprenticeship
Industrial Facilities Maintenance
Maritime Technology (Broad: May include Refrigeration, Marine Diesel, Electronics, etc.)
HVAC
Welding

In the May ’24 election, Lincoln County notched a 40% voter turnout and the measure passed overwhelmingly, with 64.59% votes in favor (10,065 for vs. 5,518 against). Subsequently, the OCCC Board of Education approved a Bond Authorization. On Sept. 11, 2025, the College and community celebrated the groundbreaking.

Facilities, Furnishings, Safety, and Modernization

Plans for the portion of the levy proceeds to be invested in the College’s existing facilities were informed by a 2023 facilities needs assessment study, performed by GLAS Architects. These projects include safety and facilities modernization and upgrades, some remodeling and improvement of student study spaces and furnishings. A priority project, re-roofing the Central County Campus building in Newport, was identified in this Needs Assessment, and was substantially completed by October 2024. Roof replacement, including a solar array that is expected to generate 99% of the building’s electricity use each year, is underway at the North County Center in Lincoln City during the summer of 2026. Check back for updates as additional projects are completed.

Thank You for Your Involvement

OCCC thanks the dozens of groups and individuals who hosted College staff and representatives, as well as members of the all-volunteer “Friends of OCCC” political action committee, for public presentations on Measure 21-224, during which speakers fielded hundreds of questions about the college’s plans, the structure and scope of the 21-year levy, and more.

If you belong to a club or organization that may want to hear updates about the ongoing construction and planning for the pre-apprenticeship trades education facility and programs, email occc@oregoncoast.edu.