91视频

Construction crews have broken ground on the first phase of substantial work at Parrott Creek Child & Family Services鈥� 80-acre campus in Oregon City. Five acres of the site are being redeveloped.

Parrott Creek Child & Family Services, according to its website, serves low-income children and families involved in juvenile justice, child welfare, substance misuse, and behavioral health systems in the Portland-metro area. The center is located at 22518 S. Parrot Creek Road in Oregon City.

Most of the property holds wetlands, creeks, meadows, and forest. That area will be preserved as 鈥渁 resource for nature therapy, environmental stewardship, and indigenous community access,鈥� according to Parrott Creek鈥檚 website. However, approximately 12,000 square feet of outdated buildings were recently demolished; only a covered basketball court remains.

The project will create 22,410 square feet of new residential, education, treatment, recreation, and administrative space, doubling the organization鈥檚 capacity so that it can care for up to 40 youths at one time.

The project team includes owner Parrott Creek, real estate developer Adre, architect El Dorado, structural engineer VALAR Consulting Engineering, civil engineer 3J Consulting, landscape architect Agency Landscape + Planning of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and general contractor Walsh Construction.

鈥淭he design of this campus layout allows (Parrott Creek) to have three distinct programs that are separated in buildings,鈥� Adre founder Anyeley Hallova said.

The project team incorporated a trauma-informed design that addresses the healing impact between the landscape, spatial design, and the young residents. The approach accounted for current needs and future flexibility, connections for both interior and exterior spaces to nature, and transitional spaces. A porch, for example, became an important part of the design because it will provide youths with space to relax before entering another area.

A Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold rating is being pursued for the project. Also, the team is aiming to achieve net zero energy use via 146.4-kilowatt solar panels and 550 kilowatt-hours of battery storage.

As a side project, Parrott Creek redevelopment team members created three distinct studios that centered on design outcomes to support young residents. The studios engaged graduate students at Harvard University and the University of Oregon as well as Parrott Creek youths in site and program analysis, research, strategic planning scenarios, and design of planning-scale, site-scale and building-scale proposals, according to Adre鈥檚 website.

One of the site鈥檚 biggest amenities is the connection to nature and wildlife. Through the Cultural Ecology Project, Parrott Creek has set up webcams for youths to view wildlife, traverse trails, and learn about ecology on the site.

To promote recreation, Parrott Creek will keep a field for soccer and other sports. A gym will also be built, because the previous facility was not able to accommodate proper equipment.

Parrott Creek youths will learn about the construction process as well. They will be able to take tours while work takes place.

The total building area in phase 1 is 16,535 gross square feet for two residence halls, administrative space, therapy space, kitchen and dining areas, and outdoor/recreation spaces. That construction will cost $13.6 million, which is being covered by private and public sources. Work is scheduled to wrap up in November 2024.

The total building area in phase 2 is 5,875 gross square feet for one residence hall, learning space including classrooms and a library, and outdoor/recreation spaces. That construction is estimated to cost $6 million.

Construction of phase 2 could begin immediately after completion of phase 1 if funding is secured. If so, the entire project could finish in June 2025.