Ground broken on new 20-unit apartment complex

Under the gaze of Spirit Mountain, three shiny new shovels passed through the hands of five Tribal Council members and others when the Tribe broke ground on Monday, May 5, for its sixth Tribal housing development called Chxi Musam Illihi North Apartment complex.

Construction officially begins on Monday, May 19.

Tribal Council, the Tribal Housing Authority board and the Tribal Housing Authority are involved in the process. Architect for the development is Portland-based and Native American-owned Cooper Zietz Engineers Inc. The builder is Corvallis-based Gerding Companies Inc., which also built the second stage of the Elders complex.

"Here we are … another groundbreaking," said Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno. "It started with an idea; Tribal Housing Authority added the detail; Tribal Council approved it as part of the Tribe's mission. The builders are going to bring that vision to life.

"The idea (was and) is still there that we take care of each other. Now, to have our people coming back, that's what the Tribe is all about."

"This is a new beginning," said Tribal Housing Authority Acting Executive Director Brian DeMarco. "We celebrate the commitment of Tribal Council to build this safe and affordable housing for our community."

"It's a dream coming to reality," said Housing Authority Board Chair Regan Dugger.

The project is the first phase of a 48 planned apartments. Funding for the last 28 units has not been secured and many details are yet to be worked out.

The first phase will build five four-plexes holding 20 separate units, each with one one-bedroom and three two-bedroom apartments. The first phase of the development will house 40-45 people and all will be family housing units rented at subsidized rates.

Their construction is a response to a long waiting list of individuals and couples seeking family housing. The goal is to complete the first phase by the end of 2014.

Construction will use structural insulated panels pre-formed to Tribal specifications and then erected "like a jigsaw puzzle," said Joani Dugger, Administrative Program manager at the Tribal Housing Authority. The walls are very thick Styrofoam sandwiched between layers of plywood, which is "the highest quality insulation you can get," said Dugger. "It will greatly reduce heating and cooling costs."

Project cost is $4.6 million, paid entirely by grants from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Tribal Council members on hand, in addition to Leno, were Tribal Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr., Jon A. George, Denise Harvey and Ed Pearsall.

Bobby Mercier, Brian Krehbiel, Jan Looking Wolf Reibach and George welcomed the development with drum and song.

Tribal Elder Steve Bobb Sr., a member of the Tribal Housing Authority board, gave the invocation for the approximately 35 people who attended the groundbreaking ceremony.