COCC’s Campus Village set to break ground on first home
'Outcrop' neighborhood to include 16 homes on five of the school's 49 acres
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The first home of Central Oregon Community College’s Campus Village is set to break ground at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, kicking off the development of the college’s 49-acre property on the corner of Northwest Shevlin Park Road and Mt. Washington Drive.
The initial phase of the Outcrop neighborhood — named for a preserved section of basalt outcroppings on the east border of the lots — will be made up of 16 single-family homes, many with accessory dwelling units.
The new subdivision will occupy a 12-acre parcel on the southwest side of the Campus Village. COCC will retain ownership of the land and lease the ground to the homeowners.
An initial proposal in 2016, which featured apartments, drew concern from neighbors in Valhalla Heights. COCC spokesman Ron Paradis also noted Monday there had been meetings with the neighbors and community since then.
William Smith Properties Inc., the Bend-based development group behind the Old Mill District and the Les Schwab Amphitheater, is the project’s master developer. Curtis Homes, with prior experience in Bend’s NorthWest Crossing, Tetherow and Aubrey Butte neighborhoods, is the homebuilder.
The construction of Outcrop’s first 16 homes will take place on approximately five acres. Additional residences will likely be built on the remaining seven acres, once sales of the first phase of homes are complete. Harcourts The Garner Group Real Estate will be the real estate agency selling the homes.
COCC said it is continuing to work with WSPI on opportunities for development of the Campus Village in the northwest corner of the college’s property, near the Jungers Culinary Center. Those opportunities include retail, housing and offices, and may occupy as many as 20 to 25 acres.
"The Campus Village project, on land leased from COCC, expects to provide a steady and reliable income stream for the college," the announcement concluded.
A roughly 120-unit senior housing facility also is planned for three acres at the southeast corner of the roundabout. COCC signed a lease earlier with Mountain West Investment Corporation for the 55-and-older facility. Paradis said it’s still in the works, but not yet ready to move forward.
About William Smith Properties Inc.
William Smith Properties Inc., developer of the Old Mill District and Les Schwab Amphitheater, engages in the acquisition, sale, development and management of rural and community real estate. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in Bend, Oregon.
About Curtis Homes
Curtis Homes is a groundbreaking Oregon construction company that strives to build beautiful homes and meet the construction needs in the Columbia Gorge and Central Oregon. Their standard is to provide the highest quality product with the comfort of a local business. Curtis Homes’ core values set the company apart as a leader in blending quality construction with uncompromising customer service. www.curtishomesllc.com
About Central Oregon Community College
Central Oregon Community College, the oldest two-year college in Oregon, was founded in 1949 as part of the Bend School District. The College District was formed in 1959 and officially established as the Central Oregon Area Education District by a vote of residents in 1962 and provides comprehensive college services to the residents of its 9,000-square-mile district. The college’s main campus, which consists of 26 buildings, is located on the western edge of Bend and its location affords spectacular views of the mountains from nearly every point on the 201-acre campus.
