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A Northeast Portland big-box space, with its distinctive blue and yellow exterior, may still look like it houses former retail tenant Best Buy. But inside, workers are transforming it into Concordia University’s Columbia River campus – including a homeland security simulation center.

“It was a total gut,” said Rick Porter, owner of Union Corner Construction, the project’s general contractor. “Everything had to be changed and brought up to the new codes. That’s kind of it.”

The building’s exterior will soon gain a new paint job. And within six weeks, the interior will be converted into a mix of cubicle spaces to serve online degree programs, classroom space for the Graduate School of Education and a $1 million simulation center.

“We’re (installing) tons of electrical and miles of Cat 6 cable wire for data and computers and all that,” Porter said. “It will be a high-tech building. It will be state of the art.”

The big-box space lent itself to an easier conversion process, said Denny Stoecklin, Concordia’s chief financial officer.

“It was a blank canvas,” he said. “It was helpful that there was not a whole lot there.”

The simulation center will serve homeland security students, as well as first responders of local, state and federal agencies, Stoecklin said. Its numerous life-and-death scenarios will include an airplane crash in an urban area and an on-campus shooter. Six participants plus one incident commander will be able to take part in field operations in the main simulation room, plus a separate command room.

The 25-foot-by-35-foot simulation room will have a 180-degree screen with multiple video projectors to give participants almost a real-world view of what is being projected. Gunfire and explosions will be muted by soundproofed walls, said Scott Winegar, director of Concordia’s homeland security degree program.

“It is intended to provide real-life emergency management training,” he said. “It will have a surround-sound theater so you can visually see an event unfold.”

The simulation center will be constructed according to specific criteria, including ceiling height, wall curvature, data requirements and soundproofing. Two full racks of servers were needed.

“When you take the wires and run them to the hardware, it is a pretty significant difference from what you normally see in a classroom environment,” Stoecklin said. “There will be a degree of interaction and reaction to what’s happening.”

Concordia contracted with Orlando-based Environmental Tectonics Corp. to provide a custom design for the simulation center, Winegar said.

“As far as simulators for disaster management, they’re probably the leading consultants,” he said. “They have their systems installed throughout the world.”

The building’s proximity to Portland International Airport and hotels presents an attractive leasing option, Winegar said. Full-day use of the simulation center for up to 20 people will cost $3,500.