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Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grand Forks school and construction leaders offer up-close look at Career Impact Academy
Mar. 12—GRAND FORKS — Approximately 30 members of the local Women in Construction organization recently got a sneak peak at the Career Impact Academy under construction in northwest Grand Forks near the intersection of Gateway Drive and 42nd Street. As part of celebrating "Women in Construction Week," they toured the two-story, 50,000-square-foot building that is expected to reach "substantial completion" by May 1 and then be turned over to the owner, Grand Forks Public Schools, said Geoff Olson, project engineer with PCL/Community Contractors. The school district "will be making sure they have the staffing in place" before fall semester classes start, Olson said. "That's a pretty fast turnaround." Construction of the building — dubbed the "CIA" by its backers — "is right on schedule," said Jared Kasper, who, as project manager with PCL/Community Contractors, has been overseeing the project for the past year. "We have about eight weeks left to get there." All programs housed here will be up and running when the 2025-26 school year starts in August, said Eric Ripley, executive director of career and technical education and technology with the school district. Ground was broken in October 2023. The Women in Construction members showed keen interest and asked questions as they toured the facility. "I love to see all the windows," said RuAnn Deschene, CEO of Community Contractors. "I can remember Red River High School (classrooms) with the narrow windows. All that sun coming through, it's going to be nice — especially in the winter." Built at an estimated cost of $30.5 million, the CIA will be a regional hub for career and technical education, serving area high schools and post-secondary schools, as well as private businesses. "More than 80 industry partners have supported this project" with their contributions, Ripley said, "and the capital campaign is ongoing." Near the building's south entry, a large donor wall will display the names of contributors who invested in this project. In 2023, more than $11 million was raised from private donations in 72 days to qualify for a $10 million match from the state. "This is going to be great for the community," said Darvin Ische, superintendent with PCL/Community Contractors. "It'll be good for parents, too, with kids who are not interested in college. This place may be bursting at the seams." Instruction in the new facility will also equip adults seeking to gain the knowledge and skills needed to enter the workforce and current industry employees seeking to enhance skills for career advancement. Programs to be offered include: building trades, culinary arts, precision technologies, automotive training, aviation and unmanned aerial systems, robotics, architectural design, engineering, computer science, and health careers such as occupational and physical therapy, certified nurse assistant and emergency medical technician. "Precision technologies" is an overarching term that applies to the newest advances in the agricultural field, Ripley said. The CIA will offer laboratory and classroom space for programs that are new to schools in this area, as well as those currently offered by Grand Forks Public Schools. Nine school districts are participating in the CIA programs, Ripley said. Academic training pathways will be available for students in grades 10, 11 and 12. Students will be able to complete their high school diplomas and obtain credentials or credits toward a college degree. The technical education facility will provide training in "programs that don't get highlighted as often as they should," Ripley said. It will also provide much-needed space for programs of study that are so popular the school district has been forced to turn students away due to space limitations, especially in the medical fields. In those fields, as well as in the building trades and aviation, interest is especially strong, he said. As an example, Ripley pointed to the CNA, or certified nurse assistant, training currently provided to high school students. "We have students start out as paid interns and work their way up," he said. "The question is, how do we get them into the pipeline at an earlier age?" In the CIA building, the area for CNA training has been designed and equipped to resemble what students will encounter in the real world, such as sinks and bathrooms to practice patient care skills. Space has also been designated as a lab to carry out certification testing. Another "real life" environment to enhance teaching is a simulated cafe setting for students in the culinary arts program. Leaders in the restaurant industry say it's important for students to learn "service and communicative skills," Ripley said. "It's those skills that sink restaurants, more than the chef or the food." On the tour, as he described the areas designated for building trades education and training, Ripley noted that there is "huge interest" in this field. "We'd love to get more females involved," he said. "I'd like to see more of a balance of males and females." Olson, with PCL/Community Contractors, said, "Fargo and Grand Forks are exploding right now," referring to the boom of activity in the business and industry sectors. In information technology, too, "there's a lot of interest and a lot of need," Ripley said. Rooms in the CIA have also been designed for traditional classroom instruction and are equipped for presentations. Dedicated spaces will give teachers who will teach online courses "a place to land," he said, and other areas are designated for students to study on their own. The residential house-building project, which has been conducted by Grand Forks high school students for years, will take place near the CIA, where a former credit union building once stood. An adjacent lot has been secured for potential CIA expansion in the future, Ripley said. Also, the CIA will provide space for area private-sector employers to retrain, recertify or upskill current employees, as well as "some flexible space that can be used for more than one purpose," he said. Post-secondary educational institutions will be able to provide training pathways, certifications and degree programs for adult learners. In many cases, college instructors will also be able to provide training to high school learners. Beginning in May and through the summer months, the focus will be on helping teachers become familiar with the features of their new workspace, said Ripley, who will serve as building administrator when the structure is completed. Among women, interest in the construction field has grown, industry leaders say. "There are no limits for women," Deschene said. "There are so many different aspects and roles in engineering." The tour was a valuable experience for the Women in Construction group because "it really built excitement about getting more kids involved with the trades and being able to highlight the important roles women play in the industry for future generations," said Erica LaMarca, executive administrator with Community Contractors. The local Women in Construction group was formed about a year ago to promote the role of women in many different aspects of the construction industry. Its members are working in areas such as commercial construction and the many trades, and as residential home builders and remodelers, architects, interior designers and bankers. The group's quarterly meetings allow women to showcase and tour local jobsites with projects under construction as well as the opportunity to connect with other women in the industry. New attendees are always welcome, organizers say.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guide Dogs for the Blind's Oregon campus will break ground on $28 million expansion
PORTLAND, Ore. () — For the first time since its debut 30 years ago, Guide Dogs for the Blind's Oregon campus will see a major expansion. The world-renowned guide dog school reported last week that it will build a 30,000-square-foot 'client residence and community hub' at its facility in Boring starting this summer. According to the announcement, this move will allow the nonprofit to double its capacity to serve local clients. Lawsuit alleges Oregon ballot measure for cannabis industry unions is unconstitutional GDB currently has two locations in the U.S. It moved to its current California facility in San Rafael in 1947. The organization opened its 28-acre Oregon campus decades later in the Fall of 1995, after an increase in demand for its services. The upcoming addition to the campus is described as the 'first of its kind in North America.' The new complex will be an indoor-outdoor structure with private suites for clients, an information center, sensory gardens, more dog training areas and events spaces. 'This state-of-the-art expansion will not only help us substantially expand our capacity to train and support more clients each year, but it will also create a vibrant, centralized space where individuals can connect, collaborate, and build lasting relationships,' GDB President and CEO Christine Benninger said in a statement. 'And we are thrilled to be launching our public campaign to support it, which allows our donors to play a pivotal role in bringing this cutting-edge project to life.' 10 consecutive seasons of measurable snowfall in Portland California-based architecture firm Studio Miers |Chou |Poon is behind the project. The school noted Chris Downey, one member of the design team, will bring an 'inclusive perspective' as he is blind himself. GDP also reported that its clients joined focus groups to help plan the expansion, which will . The organization's Building Brighter Futures campaign aims to fund the project. The fundraiser has garnered $15 million thus far. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clearview incentives get unanimous council approval
Feb. 6—Financial incentives rarely get unanimous support from the Decatur City Council, but all four councilmen in attendance this week voted to approve Clearview Cancer Institute's request for a city incentive for its planned $52 million facility. CCI is planning to build a $30 million, 57,500-square-foot facility on a 5.3-acre site just south of Decatur Shopping Center, the shopping area that extends south from 11th Street. The City Council voted 4-0, with Councilman Hunter Pepper absent, at Monday's meeting to approve two requests by the developer. The council agreed to pay a maximum of $250,000 to Decatur Utilities for infrastructure improvements to the site. It also agreed to abate 3%, roughly $90,000, in non-educational sales tax on construction materials as part of an aid-to-construction incentive. Birmingham attorney Lee Birchall represented the city in developing the agreement with CCI. He said the project will create 24 new jobs, bringing its total employment to 55. Dr. Marshall Schreeder, a physician at Clearview, said the company has been providing cancer care since 2006. The company is leaving its locations at Decatur Morgan Hospital and 1310 14th Ave. S.E. and consolidating in the planned facility. The plan is for a two-story health care facility. The first floor will have a 1,200-square-foot lobby, an 8,000-square-foot radiation area that includes two linear accelerators, offices, a lab and a 10,000-square-foot imaging area for MRIs. The second floor will include an 8,000-square-foot infusion area, a 9,500-square-foot exam area and an area for administrative and support personnel and vitals. "This is an expansion that will meet our demands on population growth," Schreeder said. "Not only will we add more construction jobs, we'll also be adding more staff and see 2,600 more patients per year." Schreeder said the new facility will also "have a community center for education and counseling." Councilman Kyle Pike said he's impressed so far with Clearview's plans. "It's a great building, a top-class facility," Pike said. "That area I think needs some invested in it. I definitely see it being a catalyst for further growth." Along with the $30 million building, the agreement says an additional $22 million is planned for equipment, design, management and contingency. Councilman Carlton McMasters said he was "very surprised" with the 4-0 vote to approve the Clearview vote. The surprise came because Councilman Billy Jackson usually votes against economic incentives. "I typically don't (vote for economic incentives), but when I looked into it the numbers were pretty accurate," Jackson said after the meeting. "We have 2,600 new cancer patients that go through their facilities every year. The impact that it's going to have on our community is enormous." Jackson, who is in his ninth term, has taken a stance through the years against public funds being used to facilitate private enterprise. In a look back at council votes since 2008, the District 1 councilman was often the lone vote against incentive plans considered by the council. He said Wednesday that every project is different and must be weighed on its benefits and negatives. He said he always had what he considered a legitimate reason for his no votes even though he was usually outvoted by fellow council members. Jackson said there are aspects of the Clearview deal that he doesn't agree with, especially that the city is paying Clearview an economic incentive "that small businesses would not get when we know that mom and pop businesses are the backbone of our city." But Jackson added that the "overall impact (of the Clearview project) outweighs my positions from the past. We're not dealing with profits or a speculative deal. We're dealing with lives and the lives of their families. It's very important." Council President Jacob Ladner said he was glad to see the unanimous vote for an "impressive" company. "I think it's the city's responsibility to offer incentives when there are good projects that are going to change an area with a really good company that our citizens all give really good feedback about," Ladner said. "They're investing $52 million, so I think it's really a no-brainer." Pike said reactions to proposed economic incentives sometimes aren't positive, but the evidence of Clearview's success has been in the "overwhelming positive response" he's received from constituents. "I'm having a lot of people saying, 'I hope y'all do this,' and 'Please do this,'" Pike said. McMasters said the deal brings a high-tech health facility that "our citizens need to Decatur." He added that he also thinks it "will make a vast improvement to that area of Sixth Avenue. It just seems to be a win-win all of the way around. It's an incredible project for the citizens and the city." The location CCI chose is vacant because the building that formerly housed Anderson Boats and was a previous location for Julia's Pools was demolished after being severely damaged in an April 3, 2018, storm. The next step for the project is CCI's developers and engineer must present the site plan for Planning Commission approval. The Planning Commission rezoned the property, located at 1626 Sixth Ave. S.E., from RD-2, redevelopment district, to M-1, light manufacturing, in 2022. City Attorney Herman Marks said the property is properly zoned for the Clearview project. — or 256-340-2432
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Octillion Introduces New Battery Factory in Nevada
Octillion Power Systems, a supplier of high-density lithium-ion battery packs for passenger and commercial fleet EVs, announced the inauguration of Nevada ONE, a battery system manufacturing facility in Reno, Nevada. Most Read on GE Appliance Maker Willfully Exposed Workers to Machine Safety Hazards, DOL Finds FTC Sues John Deere for Unfair Corporate Tactics, High Repair Costs PODCAST: The Worst at CES; Dunkin's Donut Shortage; Anheuser-Busch Making Rival Beer WATCH: Undersea Cable Plant Canceled Among Shift in Political Offshore Winds The company expects the nearly 40,000-square-foot Nevada One facility to serve the North American electric vehicle, off-highway, commercial equipment, marine and grid storage markets. The site will also showcase Octillion's battery system manufacturing and related proprietary technologies and feature its combination of human touch labor, futuristic robotics and automation across its production lines. Octillion anticipates Nevada One's production lines will achieve a total capacity of 1 gigawatt-hour, which will add to its estimated 25 gigawatt-hours of total annual production across its seven other global manufacturing facilities. The company said the facility would employ 40 to 50 skilled and non-skilled workers at peak capacity. According to Octillion, the facility will progress from lease signing to multi-line production in eight months. "Opening the Nevada One facility is a key step in our North American expansion strategy," Octillion President Paul Beach said. "Our growing manufacturing footprint in North America is commensurate with increasing battery system demand from major clients across various E-mobility end markets. This new Reno facility will allow us to satisfy certain demand, while also providing a 'working model' for clients looking to advance their own co-located factories with Octillion in North America." Click here to subscribe to daily newsletters featuring breaking manufacturing industry news. Sign in to access your portfolio
