Oregon State Legislature approves $42M for OSU-Cascades student health and recreation center
(Update: adding video, comments from students, dean of OSU-Cascades, and local lawmakers)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Years of growth are continuing here in Central Oregon, as OSU-Cascades is taking another major step to support student wellness and campus life.
The Oregon Legislature has approved $42 million for a new Student Health and Recreation Center, giving students access to on-campus fitness and health services.
The 40,000-square-foot facility is designed to fill a long-missing gap in the student experience.
“We have residence halls, dining halls, classrooms, and laboratories, but we don’t have a space for students to access recreational opportunities,” said Sherm Bloomer, chancellor and dean of OSU-Cascades.
“This will be a huge step forward that will help students succeed, stay in school, and graduate,” Bloomer added.
The new building will house a variety of recreational and clinical services — including exercise space, medical care, and mental health counseling — allowing students to stay healthy without leaving campus.
For many students, it also represents a space for connection and community.
“It’s going to give students more of an opportunity to connect with one another at a place that’s not the dorms or the dining hall,” said student Damon Iraggi.
Fellow student Kait Rodriguez added, “I also think it’ll bring departments closer together and more engaged with students. I’m really excited for it.”
Central Oregon lawmakers also highlighted the broader economic benefits of the investment, pointing to the university’s role in developing and retaining local talent.
“This is a large part in making sure we have a complete campus here,” said Rep. Jason Kropf (D-Bend). “We’re building the workforce of the future so people can be educated here, live here, work here, make a career here.”
State Sen. Anthony Broadman (D-Bend) added, “It’s incredible to have brilliant people from Bend, Redmond and Sisters be able to stay in this community, go to school for four years, and become the next business owners.”
State funding will cover about half of the project’s cost. OSU-Cascades students themselves contributed $20 million through a fee they approved in 2017.
The project will also fund remediation of the former landfill and pumice mine adjacent to campus, paving the way for future expansion as the university continues to grow.
Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in 2028. Once complete, leaders and locals alike say the new Health and Recreation Center will play a central role in supporting students — in turn, strengthening the future workforce that will stay and serve Central Oregon.
Earlier Story -- BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon State Legislature has approved $42 million in state-backed bonds to fund the construction of a new student health and recreation center at Oregon State University-Cascades. The 40,000-square-foot facility will be the first comprehensive on-campus center for wellness and clinical services at OSU-Cascades.
The project aims to provide expanded physical activity areas, preventive care, and mental health counseling for students on the Bend campus. This investment follows years of advocacy from student leaders. In 2017, students voted to increase student fees in response to the need for on-campus recreation and health services and committed $20 million for the project.
The center will include flexible indoor spaces for fitness and recreation alongside dedicated areas for clinical health services and mental health counseling. Outside the building, the project includes the construction of two all-purpose recreation fields. Currently, student fitness options on the Bend campus are limited to a single small room in the residential hall.
"The student health and recreation center will deliver essential services that directly support student life, learning and retention, and reap rewards for student success and the local, regional and state economies," said Sherm Bloomer, the chancellor and dean of OSU‑Cascades.
Bloomer noted that the center is particularly important for first-generation, rural, and low-income students. These populations often have less access to wellness and health services. The new facility will provide these resources directly on campus to support academic performance.
"Students have said for years that access to health and wellness resources is essential to our success. This investment shows student voices matter, and we’re proud to have helped make this project a reality," said Whitney McFarlane, the president of the Associated Students of Cascades Campus.
The legislative funding will also pay for the remediation of 24 acres of land. This effort will create buildable sites for the recreation center as well as future student housing and academic buildings. The university anticipates needing more space as enrollment numbers continue to grow.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028 following the completion of land remediation efforts. The new building will be connected to the campus geo-exchange system for heating and cooling to help meet net-zero energy goals.
