ODS launches downtown project

By Bill Rautenstrauch
The La Grande Observer

Published: June 17, 2004

Transformation of a rocky vacant lot into a crown jewel of downtown development began Wednesday, as community leaders took shovels in hand and broke ground for the ODS/La Grande City Library Project.

The ceremony at the corner of Fourth Street and Adams Avenue marked the start of a construction project that will result in a new service center and dental hygiene school for ODS Companies, and a 19,000-square foot library for the city.

Presiding over the doings was ODS Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Andrew Franklin.

He praised the city, Eastern Oregon University, Oregon Institute of Technology, ODS and many others for working together to make the project a reality.

"This project has so much going for it," he said. "It's unique. It has education, health care, economic development and a public-private partnership."

The ODS Companies opened a claims processing and customer service center in La Grande six years ago. ODS currently does business at the former GTE building on Adams Avenue.

About three years ago, ODS and the city jointly began exploring the possibility of purchasing the lot - formerly the site of Safeway - and developing it for multiple use.

"After about five versions, we settled on this," Franklin said.

The new ODS La Grande Center will house the dental hygiene school on its first floor and the service center on the second level.

ODS is developing that portion of the project, which should be completed by the fall of 2005.

The dental hygiene school will be operated by ODS in partnership with EOU and OIT, a Klamath Falls-based learning center.

OIT will oversee accreditation and curriculum, and Eastern will provide pre-requisite and general education courses and student services.

Martha Ann Dow, OIT president, was among those speaking at the well-attended ceremony.

Dow said the project is a way for OIT to expand its allied health services program to other areas of the state.

"We have been looking for optimum partners, and we have found some in La Grande," she said. "I'm proud to be here. I call this a historic moment."

Also taking the podium was Eastern President Khosrow Fatemi.

"This is an exciting project," he said. "It brings a variety of public and private partners together. Everyone associated with this should be proud of the accomplishment."

The city plans to begin construction of the $5.4 million library next year. The facility will replace an 8,000-square foot Carnegie library built in 1912.

Mayor Colleen Johnson told the crowd attending the groundbreaking that the overall project will provide major benefits for the community.

"It's downtown redevelopment. We will have a library that brings 300 people downtown every day, and a dental hygiene school and office building that will create jobs,'' she said.

Franklin said ODS looked at several cities when it was searching for a place to locate its service center. He said the company has never regretted

the decision to locate in La Grande.

"It has been a been a wonderful experience," he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Information

University Advancement Eastern Oregon University One University Boulevard La Grande, OR 97850 phone 541.962.3740 fax 541.962.3680 email University Advancement