On December 1, Tillamook Bay Community College (TBCC) retained Wenaha Group as the Project Manager for the upcoming general obligation bond construction project: to construct a Healthcare Education Building on the college campus. Wenaha Group is a Native American-owned Owner’s Representative, Construction Management & Consulting Firm that specializes in education, tribal, public agency, housing, and healthcare projects. They are based in Federal Way, Washington. The firm was chosen from a competitive process in November. They will be responsible for the oversight of the construction of the Healthcare Education Building as well as the renovation of the Center for Industrial Technology (CIT) which is paid for separately by a US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant.
TBCC is currently in the process of developing a 2-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). If approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing this spring, the ADN will be in place for the fall of 2023. TBCC is the last community college in Oregon to offer a 2-year nursing degree. Constructing the Healthcare Education Building is one way of showing our commitment to supporting and growing that program. The ADN program will be the focus of the new building, with simulation labs and advanced classrooms that will prepare students to enter the healthcare industry.
In addition, selection is underway for the architectural and design services for the Healthcare Education Building project. The selection has been narrowed to three firms. Each has been asked to provide fee proposals and participate in an interview process in January. Based on those proposals and interviews, the next step will be to bring a recommendation for the proposed architectural firm to the February 6 Board of Directors meeting. A separate Request for Proposal is under development for the CIT project, anticipated to follow one month behind.
In May 2022, residents of Tillamook County approved a $14.4 million bond measure to build a new Healthcare Education Building on property the college owns adjacent to the main campus building. The building will provide the college with the capacity to add a nursing program, and additional healthcare occupations training programs, and provide space to expand and add new degrees and certificates to meet the community’s growing workforce training needs. The new building will include state-of-the-art simulation labs, high-tech classrooms, office space, and a large-scale community space for conferences, trainings, and locally hosted events. The facility is expected to open in late spring 2025.