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As Turner Construction began work on Volta in Portland鈥檚 Central Eastside, it committed to a 41 percent MWESB proposed participation rate. At least 25 percent of hard costs have been awarded to subcontractors that are majority owned by underrepresented communities.

In addition, construction teams have participated in monthly diversity, equity and inclusion trainings and workshops. Developer Killian Pacific established ongoing collaborations with Turner and Bora, the project鈥檚 designer and main occupant, around its social impact goals and tracking progress and learnings.

Volta is an adaptive reuse of an existing electrical industrial warehouse at 1709 S.E. Third Ave. that was originally constructed in 1940. When completed in the next few months, the building will provide 30,000 square feet of Class A office space.

Naghmeh Kia,聽project engineer for Turner, said the project is unique in its focus on encouraging minority participation, as well as increasing diversity and inclusion awareness.

鈥淥ur goal for this project was to utilize small businesses and help them to be successful. Our training was a collaborative effort between the Turner DICE (Diversity Inclusion Community Education) team and Killian Pacific,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e invited all our trade partners to go through a training similar to what all Turner staff goes through internally.鈥�

Kia explained that Turner鈥檚 training includes two parts, Active Caring and Privilege. In the first part, all participants work together to define 鈥淐ulture of Caring.鈥� In the second portion of the training, they learn about the advantages individuals receive because of social groups they are perceived to be a part of.

鈥淭he push for diversity and inclusion may seem like a new initiative, but it has always been our goal. With recent cultural and racial injustice, we have stood up to pass along these initiatives to our trade partners,鈥� she said.