Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Cascade construction activity leads bond program

Photos and story by James Hill

Portland Community College has made great strides this spring in the overall transformation of the college’s north Portland Cascade Campus. PCC is investing $57 million in four new buildings, a major expansion of the science building Jackson Hall, which was completed last fall, and the remodeling of existing facilities. The campus is located on several city blocks at 705 N. Killingsworth Street. "This bond investment is truly a quantum increase in educational capability at Cascade," said Randy McEwen, vice president for administrative services. "I invite anyone to go out and stand in one of the new parking lots to get a sense of how truly big the initiative is." In 2000, PCC district voters approved $144 million in bond funding for construction across the district. In addition to the Cascade project, PCC is also constructing a new building at Sylvania Campus and one at Rock Creek, both due to open fall term. McEwen said the next four or five months will be the "single most intense activity in the duration of the bond program. "Everyone is going to be working very hard and very purposefully to be ready in September for students," he said, detailing the activity. "Thousands of computers, furniture. It will be a beehive of activity with six buildings on three campuses coming on line." (The college opened its new 94,000-square-foot Southeast Center on Southeast 82nd Avenue and Division Street this winter.)Cascade Campus construction projects will be enhanced with the May 1 opening of the Interstate Max light rail project that moves up N. Interstate Avenue and I-5 North. The station at North Killingsworth Street and Interstate Avenue is several blocks from the entrance to the Cascade Campus and is targeted for the first redevelopment activity. The Portland Development Commission plans condominiums and affordable rental housing, townhouses, as well as retail and office space along Interstate.You’re Hired! Apprentice Benefits from PCC ProgramTomas Romero is the jack-of-all-trades at Portland Community College Cascade Campus’ construction sites.Romero is a labor apprentice and works on everything, from operating heavy machinery to applying carpentry skills and any task in-between that needs to be done. For the last six years, the Aloha resident has been an apprentice with Walsh Construction. He is in the midst of several construction projects at the Cascade Campus, all progressing at a dramatic rate.PCC’s Minority, Women and Emerging Small Business (MWESB) effort helps Romero and other apprentices move ahead in construction careers. This outreach program was set up through the 2000 construction bond. The program networks with key organizations and businesses in the community to help spread contract money to underrepresented workers and companies. With this initiative, PCC has allocated $6.7 million to date in contract money toward women, minority or emerging small businesses for the construction projects. Minority and females make up nearly one-third of all apprentices being used at PCC work sites. From September to December of 2003, MWESB apprentices logged more than 72,800 hours on construction projects."The biggest thrill is taking nothing and turning it into something," Romero said. "As I stand in line at the cafe in the Student Center Building, I can see the difference being made in the faces of the students. They are trying to get educated and hopefully they can make it out of college and make a difference in the worl. From the bottom up, it’s exciting to be a part of the construction of a structure that will be here years from now being used by students and the community."