Deschutes County OSU-Extension to break ground on new building

The Oregon State University Extension Service in Deschutes County will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its new building on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m.

The ceremony will be held at the Fair & Expo Center in Redmond, where the new facility, which will house numerous Extension Service educational programs, including 4-H youth development, will be constructed.

The new 5,188-square-foot building will be constructed next to the main OSU Extension office building, which will remain the center of operations. It will include a horticulture lab, conference room and classroom with a teaching kitchen.

“We’re excited to celebrate with the community as we mark this important milestone,” said Candi Bothum, OSU Extension’s Deschutes County leader. “This new building has been in planning stages for 10 years and we’ve worked hard to conserve Deschutes Extension/4-H Service District dollars to help make this possible.”

The current OSU Extension facility was built in 2003. Since that time, the community’s population and the program’s offerings have grown tremendously. Currently, there are 22 OSU faculty and staff operating Extension programs in Deschutes County.