Newberg Graphic Online

Ink dry on PCC land deal

Higher ed — College to determine later this month a development schedule for the land

• By: Laurent Bonczijk  
• Published: 1/12/2010 2:25:57 PM

   Portland Community College has made a $3.75 million transaction, including cash and a donation for a lot on which to build its Newberg campus.
   Located at the intersection of Fernwood Road and Brutscher Street, the 16-acre parcel cost the college more than $3.2 million in cash and the Werth Family LLC, which owned it, donated the remaining $461,400 to the college.
   The land is located in the corridor of the proposed Newberg-Dundee bypass. PCC Sylvania Community Relations Manager Kate Chester wrote in an e-mail that the college was fully aware of that and that they expected the bypass would take up “3.5 acres in the southeast corner of the 16 acres we purchased”.
   If the bypass is built the state of Oregon and the college would then negotiate a price for the piece of land, just as private owners would.
   Later this month the PCC team in charge of developing the campus will meet with the college’s architects Hennebery Eddy to produce a timetable for the construction of the building.
   Chester said the largest higher education organization in the state was still committed to opening the doors to its newest campus by fall 2011. PCC’s goal has been to build a small campus at first, then expand upon that as enrollment grows in the future.
  The new education center is the result of voters in the PCC region voting to approve a $374 million bond measure in November 2008. Expected size is to be around 12,000 square feet at first.
   PCC’s goal is to have a sustainable design and to include four to five classrooms, a conference room, administrative space and a reception area. Hennebery Eddy built the A-dec Inc. Education Center.

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