PBX Presents: Connect Industry Resource Guide 2022

PBX PRESENTS: 2022

CONNECT

INDUSTRY RESOURCE GUIDE —

Simple shifts to overcome and build teams

J Street Bridge project in Madras will help prevent future flooding

New library coming to Redmond will double the size of existing one

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Published by DEL Communications Inc. Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road Winnipeg, MB R3L 0G5 www.delcommunications.com

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Contributing Writer LAYLA FAY

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A MESSAGE FROM PBX PRESIDENT CONNIE BRIESE

Connect 2022, again as this year begins, we face uncertainty. The virus is still hanging around, our lives forever changed by it and we have all lost someone or something important to us because of it. Now we face the uncertainty of war; right now it is Ukraine and Russia, but the ripple effect is already influencing our economy in the U.S.

I have been fortunate in my life to be around people much older and wiser than myself. I had my daughter at a young age and started college before my class graduated high school, therefore landing me with older people. Raising a child at a young age also brought me closer to those on a similar path as me, young adults with families to think about. I’d like to think I listened to them, I know I did, and I enjoyed it. I loved to hear stories of their youth, their experiences, successes, and failures. I listened as older people I knew told me about their regrets and their stories changed me. I became a person who refused to live with regrets, I wanted to jump at opportunities as they came to me, and I wanted to live life to the fullest. I wanted to travel and see the world; heck I wanted to travel and see my own country and I wanted my experiences to change me. They did and they do every day. I became the person who bought the Harley, who traveled alone on it for 22 days, nine states and 5,000 miles. I accepted offers to see things, go places, meet people, and that was just the beginning. I went hunting alone, I went with strangers, I traveled with friends, a girl’s trip to Hawaii, a trip with family to Israel, and so much more.

I don’t know how people can go on a mission trip to another country and come back and continue to live the same life they

had before their experience. I traveled to Tanzania the first time in June of 2019, and I haven’t been the same since. I returned to Tanzania in December that same year to figure out just what it was about this place that made me want to come back. I was on a mission of my own to observe and listen. I met people, heard their stories, and again it changed me. I am not rich by any means, and I wasn’t able to do those things because I was rich; I made choices in my life to follow a strict budget so that I would have the money to do things as the opportunities arose. I found a life here, one where a little money goes a long way, one where I can make a difference in people’s lives, I can give hope to children who live in hopeless situations, all while I continue to be a part of the construction community I love so dearly. I made a choice to live a little differently than others and to live a life without regret and because each person you meet can become a connection that changes your life.

In 2022, as in any other year, we will continue to see changes in our world. I hope you choose to live a life with no regrets, to seek connections in your life that give you opportunities to grow, challenge you and change you in positive ways. Take time to listen and learn from others who have walked a path before you. You never know where you will end up in your business or personal life.

This issue of Connect Industry Resource Guide brings some interesting articles on local construction projects, building permits from a developing world perspective, and some great advice from trusted advisor and friend Layla Fay. I hope you enjoy this issue! l

NAVIGATING THE VIRTUAL WORLD FROM THE COUCH

The PBX journey continues

The world and the way we do business in 2022 had dramatically changed from when the PBX opened its doors in 1979. Since that time, we have strived for excellent service to our many unique members and still today it’s ever changing. Last year we moved to 100 percent virtual and we have succeeded in making that happen. Of course, with any change there are bumps and bruises along the way and learning curves for employees and customers alike.

So, what’s next?

This year we would like to focus on our members. We have revamped our social media presence and we want to make you, our members, the focus of that. We are dedicated to keeping up to date on the changes in our virtual plan room to fit your needs and we want to make sure we are up to date on your changes as well. Have you added a new line of service? Used a technologically advanced new product? Do you want to share your services with like-minded individuals in the construction community by advertising in our newsletter?

Our team of marketing and social media professionals will help meet our vision of empowering the construction community for success. This includes advertising space in our weekly e-newsletter, new and featured member highlights, and our online construction directory. Anyone visiting our website will see our complete list of members in the directory, making it easier for potential clients to contact them. Social media has likewise been a great way to show our appreciation and we welcome jobsite photos or finished product photos to advertise what amazing work our members have been doing.

Expanding our list of services to fit the needs of our general contractors, sub-

contractors, suppliers and others is still a top priority for all of us. When we see that something extra is needed, we try our best to make that happen.

We understand that change can be difficult sometimes, and therefore we offer training sessions on how to navigate our website so that everyone can be as successful as possible with our services. Training comes at no cost and is available to all members, whether they’ve been with us for one month or 10 years. The PBX staff is always willing to meet with members one-on-one, virtual training sessions, or group sessions with member companies. Training is always adjusted to fit the specific needs of each individual, as we recognize that not everyone is the same and not everyone’s needs will be the same either. We don’t want anyone to feel lost or like they’re wasting time and we’re happy to help, even if you just need a refresher course. After all, we see our success as being tied to our members; if one person falls behind, we all fall behind.

Overall, as things have continued to change, our mission statement remains the same: to offer a full-service plan room while meeting the progressing technology needs of our members. Thank you for sticking with us and here’s to another 40 years! l

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We currently are the provider of insulation services to many respected names in residential and commercial construction. These include Builders, General Contractors, HVAC companies, Architects and Engineering firms who have hired us and stay loyal because we have earned their trust and confidence in our level of service. We are more than happy to provide a list of references at any time upon request.

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

At the Premier Builders Exchange (PBX), we are dedicated to giving you the best opportunities available and condensing them onto one platform, making them more organized, efficient and hassle-free.

Our projects are pulled from all over the state of Oregon, ensuring a variety for all scopes of work, and with our software’s search tools it’s even easier to find what you’re looking for. We’re always doing our own research for new projects, but in addition to that and because of our history, many design professionals, project owners and general contractors supply us with their projects automatically to receive more qualified bids. They submit their plans to us to have them standardized and in a central hub where they can send subcontractors to find their projects.

All members have access to project information, but advanced members have the additional advantage of being able to view,

download and print project documents through our website, as well as receive help calculating your bid using our take-off tools. We process all project documents, providing our members with a consistent naming and numbering system. This allows you to easily find your scope of work in large sets and be confident that you understand how they are organized.

All members have access to our website and each company is allotted five user accounts that each employee can personalize to fit their needs. Choose whether you only want to see the jobs we post or include California Public Projects, as well as California Department of Transportation listings. And it doesn’t stop there. We also have a wide variety of subscriptions to other plan rooms available for annual purchase and when a user registers on a project, they will get notifications of any updates to that project. This includes when documents are added, as well as bid results, including who was the low bid and what the numbers were. Additionally, members will also be updated on what projects were recently posted in a daily notification email.

Not only do our members have access to projects, but they can view newly issued building permits from cities and counties in Oregon as well. This includes those that may need additional subcontractor or supplier help. We include permits over $10,000 and organize them into a standard format, listed by city or county, and publish them every week. Even better, all of this is available to you on your mobile device, making it more convenient to pull up needed information on the go.

All our members – associate, premier and advanced – are advertised in our online construction directory, an important feature when we get phone calls from others who need contractor help. Viewers can easily find your website or email you directly from your listing, giving you even more work opportunities.

So, whether you’re looking for a few extra work opportunities, want access to take-off software, or just want to get your name out there a little more, we have your back with a team that is here to serve you and we strive to help our members achieve the success they’re looking for.

You don’t have to do this all alone. At the Premier Builders Exchange, we’re a family, so join our virtual family today! l

THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING PERMITS FROM A DEVELOPING WORLD PERSPECTIVE

BY CONNIE BRIESE

There are a few more “modern” buildings in the village, a school, a clinic, and a few small businesses that sell staples needed in village life. Most of those are constructed by more professional builders who have attended a trade school or apprenticed under a more experienced builder. They have more modern finishes, which are bought in from bigger cities, unlike the local houses, and they have electricity. One thing is the same about all the buildings in the village, they are built without using plans, specifications or building permits.

So why is that important?

I’ve been living in Tanzania for most of the last two years. It has been an experience for sure, especially since most of my time has been spent in a remote village about eight hours from Tanzania’s largest city Dar Es Salaam. I’ve also travelled to some places here that can only be accessed either on foot or by motorcycle. Given that I have spent all my life in and around the construction industry I can’t help but look at the building practices here. How in the world did they build that school way up in the mountains without roads to bring in supplies? Tanzanians are particularly resourceful people, and I swear all of them possess the MacGyver gene.

Life in this small East African village is simple, most of the people here are farmers, they own or lease small plots of land or do piece work for others to earn a living. They grow rice, corn and other vegetables needed for survival and hopefully have enough to sell in order to build their own houses or buy other supplies needed. Some of the locals are builders, others make bricks, build houses, do plastering, painting or carpentry work as the season or money from farming allow. It’s been interesting to see how they use the environment that surrounds them to build their homes. The clay and soil are used to make bricks, they build kilns from the sundried bricks along with mud and make fires inside with the trees from their land to harden the bricks. They make ladders from small trees so they can climb on top of the kilns and place grasses or hulls from pealed rice to help bake the bricks. Most of the local houses here are made without using cement, only mud. The roofs are constructed of small trees and tall grasses, and the floors are dirt.

During “Masika”, or the heavy rain season here, it floods. It rains so heavy that the roads are not passable, cars and cows alike sometimes float down the rivers, which are completely dry during the dry season here, and buildings sometimes fall and wash away. The villages and even most cities in Tanzania lack infrastructure and engineering to handle these storms, leaving them vulnerable to the elements. I remember a time last year during the rains where I was in an Uber trying to get to a meeting across town in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city, and traffic was stalled for over an hour, I finally gave up and hailed a motorcycle instead because no cars were going to be moving anytime soon. Roads were impassable by cars; buildings and homes alike were flooding.

Obtaining building permits can be a frustrating, time consuming, and even expensive process, but imagine building your home or business only to see it wash away or flood during the rains. Imagine again that your electrician was not required to have a license, his work was not inspected, and your home caught on fire. Building permits and the inspection process protect you and your family by making sure that your building is compliant and all local codes are followed. You could face issues selling your property in the future without proper building permits or face fines. There are also costly repairs or you may even be required to tear down work already completed. A building permit gives you a green light to begin construction and gives you assurance that your new project is safe and built soundly.

Do the right thing so the next time it rains you don’t have to hold your breath hoping that yours isn’t the next building that washes away. l

Obtaining building permits can be a frustrating, time-consuming, and even expensive process, but imagine building your home or business only to see it wash away or flood during the rains.

UNDERSTANDING LABOR SHORTAGES

Simple shifts to overcome and build teams

BY LAYLA FAY,

If you work in construction, chances are you’ve been working a few more hours, wearing several more hats of responsibility and perhaps even increasing the flow of your personal caffeine drip. You don’t need to be informed that there is a labor shortage, you’ve been living it and are keenly acquainted with the reality. One question I keep hearing from construction leaders is “why don’t people want to work anymore?” While that is a valid question, I think it is vital to first figure out how you, your team and your company can thrive despite cultural shifts and a meager labor force. It’s time to innovate and lead change in the industry and not fall victim to marketplace circumstance or burnout yourself and all of your existing A-players in the process.

Let’s look at some current environmental realities and then I will share some practical solutions my clients have implemented over the past two years to build their teams, as well as simple shifts that are supporting their hiring process.

For all of us that have worked in the industry for more than the past decade, there are scars and war stories of how we lived out the 2008 economic crash. While you may have survived or completely rebuilt your business, you now recognize that many former vendors, partners and go-to experts left the industry all together. The New York Times reports 630,000 construction workers left the industry in 2008.

In addition to that loss, the National Center for Construction Education & Research says roughly 41 percent of the current workforce will retire in the next 10 years. As these experts leave the field, they are taking their knowledge and expert skills with them. Often employers fail to make room for cross training and knowledge transfers – so not only has the company lost a laborer,

they may have also lost their go-to expert. To add insult to injury, while one generation is exiting the workforce, 61 percent of Millennials (who will make up half of the workforce by 2025) are viewing construction as unrewarding and a “dirty job”, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

That’s three strikes against the industry workforce without even mentioning a global pandemic, inflation and supply chain delays! With that being said, don’t throw your hands up in the air and give up, hang with me, there is still hope and a way through! The Associated Builders and Contractors estimate there is a need for 650,000 additional workers to fill the existing shortages in construction labor in 2022. These facts paint a sobering picture that something needs to shift and change to attract and motivate new candidates into the skilled labor trades.

The days of simply posting a job opening and getting flooded with qualified candidates who are eager to work seem to have faded into a by-gone era, which is sad but true. Over the past two years I’ve worked with several business owners and their HR specialists to find simple shifts that produce strong teams, loyal employees and attract new talent.

Six actions to build your team with excellence

1. Increase communication frequency

Communicate with simplicity and regular frequency, articulating expectations, roles and responsibilities. Even if you’ve already said it, say it again. Repetition of key priorities, process and expectations delivered with appreciation and validation keeps you and your team connected.

CONSULTANT, COACH & SPEAKER, BUILDING EXCELLENCE: PEOPLE. PROCESS. PROFIT.

2. Invest in your employees

Invest in your employees, for they are the greatest asset of your company, and your sustainability, profitability and daily workflow are dependent on them. You know you can’t do it all on your own and the more you can release the daily operations to strong team leads, the greater you can grow your company. So, invest in your employees with further education, training, certifications, coaching, perks and through intentionally growing a supportive culture.

3. Leverage technology

Figure out how to do more with less. If the labor pool is shallow, how can you accomplish more with what you already have? Protect and invest in your A-players and lean into technology, software and equipment investment to increase capacity.

4. Create a referral program

Establish a referral program for existing employees. There is no greater invitation to join a team than from an existing member who loves the work they do and the company they work for. There is such high value in relationships. When an individual gets introduced to a company through its existing employees, there is already a relational connection that establishes a level of trust and interest.

5. Change the narrative of opportunity

Refine your hiring process by shifting the narrative and opportunity you promote in your job postings. Don’t stop with the traditional job post that includes the job description, qualifications and payroll and benefits. Create a new narrative that offers a career path and a skilled trade. Invite candidates into

an opportunity of growth, education and economic opportunity. Fast food restaurants may offer $20 per hour, but where’s the future potential? In construction, entry-level positions may start at a slightly lower hourly rate, but they create a long-term training ground and offer the opportunity to become a skilled expert in the industry. Today’s marketplace needs you to paint

“There are diamonds out there that want to be drawn into a team to shine.”

the big picture of possibilities and attract qualified teachable candidates that will take ownership in their work and pride in their labor.

6. Apprenticeship programs

Get strategic with your partnerships to create systems to attract the next generation into the field of construction. Consider creating apprenticeships or consider talking to local educational outlets and encourage the offering of shop classes and the like, creating your own resource funnel for labor.

I spoke with the HR director of Elk Creek Forest Products in McMinnville, Oregon, Breanne Marsh, and her experience confirms many of the challenges every business is facing right now. She shared some actions that are benefiting their team.

“There has definitely been a steep drop in the number of candidates applying for open positions, and even with a recent uptick in applicants they are lower caliber with weak resumes, low motivation and challenging to engage with,” explains Marsh. “When traditional direct calls and emails weren’t getting us anywhere, we started to use more texting, but even then it is still challenging to secure interviews, and when they do show up, they don’t seem eager to learn about the company or even make a positive impression.”

Marsh went on to describe a series of interviews where people only seemed interested in the pay scale and were distracted by their phones, even to the point of taking another call during an interview and scrolling on their phones while taking a tour of the facilities.

Has your experience in hiring been similar? Or perhaps you’re like many small business owners I’ve connected with who are beyond overworked and exhausted, and when I suggest that they seek to hire new labor they reply, “The demands on us are so intense, I don’t have the time to waste, and besides why would I try when no one wants to work anyway?” I understand that point of urgency and I recommend instead of trying to muscle your way through, slow down enough to assess your needs, and if necessary, reach out for outside support from a recruiter or a consultant like myself who can take on the busy work of finding the right person for the job. Settling for a seemingly able body can often get you in a worse position. And to continue to do all the work yourself or burnout your A-players is not a solution either.

Marsh said despite challenges in filling entry-level positions, applying several of the recommendations listed above, her team has made quality hires in leadership roles and administration positions.

“We’ve gained good talent through our employee referral system and by altering our job listings to include more of the culture and intangible benefits of being part of our team.” She encourages all businesses in the industry saying, “Don’t be ok with the status quo and lower your expectations. Keep at it, trying subtle shifts to attract the quality and talent you’re seeking. There are diamonds out there that want to be drawn into a team to shine.”

Marsh also urges companies to not grow tired in communicating who you are as a company and what you have to offer. May her words and her decade of experience encourage you to stay the course and grow your team and your company with excellence.

Yes, there may be a great need of labor to fulfill the demands in your industry, but you have the ability to pivot and intentionally innovate the way you build your team and improve your processes in a way that sustains the current circumstances and challenges. You have the grit and the expertise, it’s time to reveal your greatness!

If you or your HR department need some outside insight or help in supporting your team or recruiting talent, please call 541-948-5548, or email hello@BuildingExcellence.pro for a complimentary consultation that will deliver a next steps strategy to get you unstuck and drive new action. l

KEEPING THE COMMUNITY SAFE

J Street Bridge project in Madras will help prevent future flooding

BY SHAYNA WIWIERSKI

Construction recently started on a project that has been years in the making.

The J Street Bridge project is a joint effort between the City of Madras and Jefferson County to triple the length of the bridge to prevent future flooding. The bridge, which was originally built in 2005 to extend J Street over to City View Street, also included a roundabout intersection, a bridge over Willow Creek, and several utilities.

When the original bridge was constructed, fill was placed in the future J Street roadway in order to create a subgrade and to build up embankments for the future bridge over Willow Creek. The fill ended up creating a flow restriction of the 100-year floodplain area and it affected other properties that weren’t originally within the 100-year floodplain impact area.

When the City of Madras began updating its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodway mapping, it was brought to their attention that the existing J Street bridge improvements could restrict floodplain flows and cause storm water to back up and flood neighboring properties. To remove those issues, the City would need to mitigate the damming effect caused by the J Street Bridge improvements constructed in 2005.

“There was a step missed in which we needed to go talk with FEMA to go through their permitting analysis to

The J Street Bridge project is a joint effort between the City of Madras and Jefferson County to triple the length of the bridge to prevent future flooding.

The project entails an extension of the bridge to the west 160 feet, as well as a relocation of a multi-use path that’s on the north side, and an engineered berm with flow control structure, which allows flow from west to east.

make sure we weren’t restricting flows upstream or downstream in Willow Creek for when Willow Creek floods,” says Jeff Hurd, interim public works director for the City of Madras. “Willow Creek floods every so often from heavy rainfalls, and that permitting step was missed… The bridge was basically creating a restriction in the Willow Creek channel and was causing the water in their area to back up and head to the west and over top of J Street and meander into the Pines subdivision.”

In a joint partnership between the City and County, the City contracted Murraysmith in late 2018 to look at potential mitigation measures for no-rise conditions in the Willow Creek floodway downstream of the J Street Bridge and come up with a way to fix it. They determined that the best way to do this economically would be to expand the J

Street Bridge to allow for additional flow of floodwaters to move through.

Construction on the project started in March 2022 and is expected to be completed by September of this year. The project entails an extension of the bridge to the west 160 feet, as well as a relocation of a multi-use path that’s on the north side, and an engineered berm with flow control structure, which allows flow from west to east.

The project was awarded to Marcum & Son’s in December 2021, who were the lowest bidders. The project is budgeted at just over $3.4 million and it’s being funded by both the City of Madras and Jefferson County.

As of this past March, J Street was closed down and traffic is detoured around SE McTaggert Road for a mile-and-a-half and then back to SE City View Street.

Although this was a necessary project for the city, Hurd says that it was a very long process to get through FEMA permitting and design. Once the project is complete later this year, the map will be updated and it will remove the subdivision of the Pines out of the floodplain, which will be a benefit to homeowners in that area.

“It’s a great thing because otherwise approximately 74 homes, if they are in the floodplain, they would have to go get flood insurance, which is an added cost to the homeowners. It takes them out of the floodplain and removes that issue,” says Hurd, adding that it will also allow the City to finish updating their flood map once this project is done. “It removes a portion of the restrictions in the area of Madras, which will help development redevelop and develop and take those restrictions away. It will open a lot of ground to help grow.” l

| BEND | PENDLETON

Caldera High School

Redmond Airport Snow Removal Equipment Building

Once the project is complete later this year, the map will be updated and it will remove the subdivision of the Pines out of the floodplain, which will be a benefit to homeowners in that area

SPACE TO GROW

Juniper Ridge Public Works Campus Facility project ramping up

The City of Bend will soon have a new public works campus for various city services, to be built in Juniper Ridge.

The City of Bend identified in 2015 that the campuses for the some of their critical operations would be outgrowing their existing facilities. A master plan programming study was then done to identify the needs of these operations and it was decided that four departments would be relocated from their existing sites to a new development, the Juniper Ridge Public Works Campus Facility.

When completed, this new facility will house the Engineering and Infrastructure Planning Department, the Utilities Department, the Transportation and Mobility Department and Fleet Services.

The City is currently in the process of procuring a progressive design-build team who will be engaged from early programming efforts through to the end of construction. Right now, they are looking at a 2023 construction start.

The development will be located on a 26.5-acre piece of land in Juniper Ridge, a

portion of which was used for the North Interceptor Sewer Line Project, which was completed in 2021. Juniper Ridge is a 500-acre industrial and business park that is located in in northeast Bend. Jo Wells, facilities architect and principal project manager for the City of Bend, says that the City owns around 1,500 acres in Juniper Ridge and the majority of that is undeveloped.

The budget for the project is still being refined and currently the City has hired Otak as the owner’s representatives. Wells says that they hope to have the

The City of Bend will be moving four departments from their existing sites to a new development, the Juniper Ridge Public Works Campus Facility.

progressive design-build team selected in April of this year so the planning can then begin.

A Progressive Design-Build project is a construction project where the design is developed by the owner and the design builder in a step-by-step process. This method allows the design and construction team to collaborate during the earliest stages of project development and enables the greatest amount of engagement between the three key players in a construction contract, which is the owner, designer, and the contractor. Once this project is complete, it will house a number of critical functions for the community.

“Right now, those departments are on sites that don’t adequately support

their operations and they are growing pretty rapidly. The need to expand our operations is increasing and so it’s a way to better service our community,” says Wells. “In order to provide those services to the community we need to upgrade our operations, both size-wise and [in terms

of] modernizing for current practices. Those facilities are pretty old and have a lot to be desired in terms of modern quality.”

To keep up to date on the Juniper Ridge Public Works Campus Facility project, please visit www.bendoregon.gov. l

The City is currently in the process of procuring a progressive design-build team who will be engaged from early programming efforts through to the end of construction.

COME, GATHER, LEARN

The city of Redmond will soon be getting a bigger library.

In late 2020, Deschutes County voters supported the Deschutes Public Library bond measure to expand and improve libraries across the county. This bond will fund the design and construction of six libraries across the region, including the Redmond Library.

The building that houses the current Redmond Library, located at 827 SW Deschutes Avenue, was originally built in 1929. It was remodeled and turned into a library in 1996 and is around 20,000 square feet. The new library will be built in an entirely new building on that site and will be around 40,000 square feet in size, doubling the existing library.

“Redmond is one of the fastest growing cities, not just in Oregon, but in the country. Since we built the current Redmond Library, the population has gone from 12,000 people to just over 30,000, so it has tripled in the last 20 years,” says Todd Dunkelberg, library director at the Deschutes Public Library. “That was the start of this project, trying to find a way to serve the community

of Redmond that fits the size of the [population].”

Construction for the new library is set to start in April 2023 with a September 2024 completion. The new building will be two stories (the current library is one story) and is budgeted at $49 million. Although it is still early, Dunkelberg says that they have chosen Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company as the general contractor for the project since it is a Construction Manager/ General Contractor (CM/GC) project. This CM/GC project delivery method allows an owner to engage the construction manager during the design process to provide constructability input. Miller Hull Partnership out of Seattle, in partnership with Steele Associates Architects in Redmond, are the designers on the project.

The new library will be built to LEED Gold certification and will feature a number of sustainable features. Although the project is still in the design phase, Dunkelberg says that the library will feature a heat island reduction, indoor and outdoor water use reduction, optimized energy performance, enhanced indoor air quality strategies, solar power, and more.

New library coming to Redmond will double the size of the existing one

The new Redmond library will be built in an entirely new building on the site of the existing library and will be around 40,000 square feet in size, doubling the existing library.

The Deschutes Public Library also consulted with the public when doing the design of the new library and a lot of that input will be implemented in the new library.

“The number-one thing is having creative spaces for children so they can interact not just with books, but interact with play things,” says Dunkelberg. “They can move around and have mobility and all these things we have learned through research that helps to develop early learning-ready skills.”

The library will also feature a lot of public meeting space that will be able to accommodate up to 200 people in a room. There will also be smaller meeting rooms for groups of 25 to 30 people, as well as smaller spaces for groups of two or three people. Dunkelberg says that they have learned through these community consultations that it’s hard to find meeting spaces like this, so having these areas will be very beneficial for those

using the library. In addition, there will also be interactive maker spaces where people can practice do-it-yourself projects, various types of crafts, and more.

As of early March 2022, the project has moved onto the design development phase and even though it will be a couple of years until completion, the new Redmond Library is already met with a lot of excitement.

“Right now we are limited by space, so we will be able to double the amount of books we have throughout the county, especially in this building. Right now, we have 250,000 books for everyone in the community and we will be able to bring that up to 600,000 books for everyone,” says Dunkelberg. “This will be a real place for the people where they can come, gather, learn and explore. It will be a nice centerpiece for Redmond.” l

The new library will be built to LEED Gold certification and will feature a number of sustainable features.

Although the project is still in the design phase, Dunkelberg says that the library will feature a heat island reduction, indoor and outdoor water use reduction, optimized energy performance, enhanced indoor air quality strategies, solar power, and more.

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CORPORATE OFFICE 3871 Langley Street, Salem, OR 97317 503-399-4833

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597 SW Veterans Way, Redmond, OR 97756 541-527-4280

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