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Rendering of the Redmond training center. Rendering by BBT Architects.

Redmond training facility upgrades to enhance workforce development

By Melody Finnemore

Construction is expected to begin this December on substantial upgrades to a workforce development center that serves teens and young adults in Central Oregon. Located in Redmond, the training facility is operated by Heart of Oregon Corps (HOC), a Bend-based nonprofit.
The project includes construction of a 9,000-square-foot building as well as remodels of both a 14,000-square-foot warehouse building and 10,000-square-foot covered equipment bays. A central courtyard will connect all elements of the four-acre campus. The courtyard will feature art, a small space for outdoor programs and small spaces for class gatherings.

Trauma-informed design elements include an emphasis on providing daylight and outdoor air, clear navigation, quiet meeting spaces and recreational spaces, HOC Executive Director Laura Handy said in an article published by 91��Ƶ Oregon on April 20.

The Redmond training center offers job skills training, education and leadership development, and HOC operates six programs that follow a work-earn-learn model, with YouthBuild among them. The youth receive hands-on training by building affordable housing, restoring and maintaining public lands and sites, participating in child care, and more.

“What’s unique about us is at the conservation core, we not only provide services to young people, but our young people are part of the solution for communities,” Handy said. “Our young people are a vibrant part of their community that help solve problems in their community.”

The upgraded campus will provide program participants with a quality, stable environment to receive training as well as space to address basic needs. In addition to recreational space, there will be showers, laundry facilities, kitchen/cafeteria space, and space for trainees to take breaks and tend to personal care.

Construction of a centralized campus will result in efficiencies in travel, equipment usage and staffing. It will enhance current services through youth job skills training, educational activities and youth leadership, and expand services by partnering with other groups to offer trainings and classes, according to HOC.

HOC is pursuing the project in partnership with landlord Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon and is planning to lease the property for the long term. BBT Architects designed the campus for HOC. R&H Construction is the general contractor/construction manager. The upgrades are slated to be completed in February 2025.

Melody Finnemore is a Portland-area freelance writer.