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: September 2026

The new OCATT building is really coming together this month. Glulam column and beam installation is complete, exterior wall framing is nearly finished, and crews just placed the final sections of the roof structure — distinctive ADLT panels whose exposed wood underside will double as a finished ceiling once the building opens. Siding and roofing remain on track for October, after which work shifts indoors, with equipment move-in slated for March 2027 and full completion in June 2027. Elsewhere on campus, HVAC and security upgrades are in the final stretch: HVAC replacement is complete in all buildings and being commissioned, though some unexpected faulty equipment will need replacing in October, and access control and security work wraps up this month, alongside the last of the Summer 2026 roof and lighting improvements at North Center and the Aquarium Science building. Looking ahead, design work is underway on the final round of 2027 renovations to the Central Campus and North Center — including updated commons areas, a kitchen expansion, bookstore and library upgrades, and new lactation rooms — with design wrapping up in December ahead of construction next summer to complete the bond program voters approved in May 2024.

By the Numbers (as of September 2026)

$46.8M — total bond program funding to date (bond sale + state matching grant + other income)
$39.7M — committed to contracts and design across all bond projects
$18.7M — spent to date (47% 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 (Not included in this figure are the local workers hired by various contractors and subcontractors.)

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.