The Central Oregon Community College (COCC) board of directors voted at its June 12 meeting to authorize a contract with Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company for a long-planned Madras campus expansion, with a guaranteed maximum price of $18,253,250. Groundbreaking for the project took place on June 17; completion is expected by winter of 2025.
The expansion of the Madras campus, being designed by Opsis Architecture, is a response to Jefferson County’s needs related to early childhood education and health care workforce gaps, along with a major shortage of child care options in the region. The plan calls for a 24,000-square-foot building, designed specifically for early childhood education programs, registered nurse and other health career pathways, and a 100-capacity child care center.
“COCC is excited to officially set this transformative project in motion, partnering again with the expert team at Kirby Nagelhout Construction,” said Dr. Laurie Chesley, president of COCC. “This investment will have a profound impact on the people and economic well-being of Jefferson County, bringing new careers and opportunities, and making for a stronger Central Oregon overall.”
“We at KNCC are thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with COCC and bring this expansion of the Madras campus into being,” said Jason Terry, president of Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company.
The Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company was contracted to build the original COCC Madras campus building, in 2011, along with the Coats Campus Center, Middleton Science Center and Barber Library on the Bend campus, the Technology Education Center on the Redmond campus, and other college projects.
The current contract resulted from a bidding process that began in November of 2022. The full cost of the project is currently estimated at $22,253,586, with funding for the “Growing Together” capital campaign coming from a mix of federal, state and institutional resources, as well as grant support and private donations.
For more information, contact Zak Boone, COCC’s chief advancement officer and executive director of the COCC Foundation, at zboone@cocc.edu or 541-383-7212.
