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OSU Cascades Releases Master Plan

BEND, OR -- Oregon State University released its Master Plan for expansion of the Bend campus, Wednesday night. Christine Coffin, with OSU-Cascades, says it’s the result of two years of talking with area residents and students about how the school should grow. 

 

Coffin tells KBND News public feedback revealed a desire that matched that of school leaders: a campus that's less traditional and more integrated into the surrounding area. "So, that means, in terms of the natural areas that the campus might provide – the trails to walk and bike through, meeting spaces that might be offered as part of the campus, and gathering spaces for the public; dining facilities that would be open as restaurants for community members, too."  It also includes recreation fields and parking, as well as academic residential and research space. Coffin adds, "One additional aspect of the 128-acre campus is the Innovation District area. It would integrate commercial, retail and industry partnerships; so it might be where some of our faculty researchers partner area tech companies to advance their work – both the company’s work and the faculty researchers’ work. And, it’s an opportunity to engage students in that work."

 

The plan outlines development of the former pumice mine and demolition landfill adjacent to the existing 10-acre campus, to reach the goal of eventually serving as many as 5,000 students. "It’s a campus that we hope will be here for a century or more to come, and it’s going to be a slow process to build it out," says Coffin. "The next thing that community members will see will be the preparation of the land. Those are two very interesting sites – the pumice mine and the landfill – so, there’s a lot of work to do on the remediation of the landfill and some filling of the pumice mine, too." She expects another academic building and a student success center will be the next facilities built. 

 

OSU-Cascades continues to gather community input, "We’ll have an online feedback form where community members can contribute their feedback up through November 29. By the end of the calendar year, the plan will get submitted to the city of Bend, and the city of Bend will then start its Master Plan process, which includes a public comment period, also." Click HERE to view the full Master Plan presentation and to submit feedback.

 

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