(The future Student Success Center at Oregon State University is currently under construction. Instead of steel, the building is constructed using mass timber, a sustainable and regionally-sourced material. It is anticipated to open to students in winter 2025 | Photo courtesy of OSU-Cascades)
Oregon State University – Cascades invites community members to an open house on May 28 to explore the latest progress as once unusable lands — a former landfill and pumice mine — near the center of Bend are transformed into a university campus.
The event will take from 4-6pm, with attendees starting in the Charles McGrath Family Atrium in Edward J. Ray Hall.
Attendees will join guided van tours of land remediation work underway for the first eight-acre phase of OSU-Cascades’ future innovation district. This remediation effort, which takes place within the former landfill area, has reached an important juncture as excavation of construction and demolition waste related to this phase was recently completed.
Visitors will also see the heavy equipment used at the site to move tons of fill and prepare it for sorting and recycling. They will also join a hard hat tour of the Student Success Center and its mass timber structure. The building will open to students in winter 2025.
Visitors can view plans showing the future campus, and members of the campus planning and design teams will be on hand to answer questions.
Community members interested in being involved in the future of OSU-Cascades can meet with representatives from Now4 OSU-Cascades, which is part of the Beaver Caucus, a community advocacy group, to learn about ways to support OSU-Cascades.
Light refreshments will also be available.
The land remediation work underway was funded by the Oregon State Legislature, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and OSU. The Student Success Center was funded by the Oregon State Legislature and through student fees.
The open house is free, but registration is requested. Closed-toe shoes are recommended. For accommodation requests, contact events@osucascades.edu.
To register or learn more, visit osucascades.edu/community-open-house.
About OSU-Cascades:
Oregon State University’s campus in Bend brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by mountains, forest and high desert, OSU-Cascades is a highly innovative campus of a top-tier land grant research university, offering small classes that accelerate faculty-student mentoring and experiential learning. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. OSU-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.
What:
OSU-Cascades will host an open house with van tours, hard hat tours and more where community members can explore the latest progress underway as planners transform once-unusable lands near the center of Bend into a university campus.
When:
4-6pm, May 28
Where:
Edward J. Ray Hall at OSU-Cascades on Chandler Avenue in Bend.
Cost:
Free, but registration recommended.
Info:
To register or learn more, visit osucascades.edu/community-open-house.
For accommodation requests, contact events@osucascades.edu.
