Trades Building Project Advancing with Selection of Design Team

Updated Feb. 1, 2025

Over the holidays the OCCC team, led by our Owner’s Representative, Integrity Management Solutions, received and reviewed nine proposals for architectural services for the new OCATT building, as well as the Repair, Renovation, and Modernization Projects targeted for completion on all four locations over the next couple of years.  Ultimately four companies were interviewed, and the committee selected the team led by GLAS Architects, from Eugene, Oregon.   This dynamic team, combining the talents of both GLAS and Hacker Architects, and BNDRY Studio, will provide architectural design services for a Career Technical Education facility that will focus on providing students with the skills they need to support the unique slate of trades in Lincoln County and across the region. Chris Walkup of GLAS will lead the effort, while Corey Martin of Hacker will focus on building design and Tyler Whitehead of BNDRY Studio will lend his CTE expertise in the planning and design of the various technical aspects of the project.

Focus Groups with a variety of stakeholders are scheduled to be held in February and will further refine the scope of programs to be offered in the new OCATT building. These groups will include high school students who might plan to attend OCCC in upcoming years, former students who might add insight into skills that would be helpful upon graduation, potential teaching staff, and community leaders and industry partners from Toledo, Yachats, Waldport, Newport and Lincoln City who can speak to the types of jobs in their areas that require special training.

Even as the design team begins their work, the selection committee is moving forward on the next step; contracting a premier construction firm to build our projects.  A Finding of Facts has been published and a hearing will be held at the next Board of Education meeting, February 25, to welcome any community feedback about using this approach.  Shortly thereafter, a legal advertisement requesting proposals from CM/GC candidates will be published and we expect to have a complete team on board in April.

Design meetings will continue on the new OCATT building into next year, but the College anticipates work to begin clearing the site and prepping for utilities as early as summer 2025.  The community will also likely see some of the repairs and maintenance work begin this summer at all four locations.

For more information and updates on the project progress, check back here often.  If you have specific questions, please email Nancy Giggy at nancy@imsoregon.com.  We will also be posting a FAQ page on the website in the next few weeks.