The former Miller lumberyard in Madras, donated to Central Oregon Community College (COCC) by members of the Miller family to raise funds for a Madras campus expansion, is being sold to Jefferson County with the property to be redesigned as a community food pantry.
The COCC board of directors approved the $375,000 sale at its board meeting on Wednesday night. The 40,000-square-foot lot, located in downtown Madras, had an appraised value of $410,000.
“This is a great outcome that impacts the future and well-being of Jefferson County on multiple levels,” said Laurie Chesley, president of COCC, “moving our Madras campus expansion closer to its goal while supporting a vital food bank in the community. None of this would have been possible without the partnership and generosity of the Miller family, and their gift will go on to improve many lives for current and future generations.”
COCC will apply the real estate proceeds to its “Growing Together” capital campaign to bring a new state-of-the-art building to the Madras campus, being specifically designed for health care and education programs, along with an on-site child care center that will serve students and the community. Groundbreaking for the project will take place on June 17.
