News
1/18/2010
OTEC Moves Forward with New La Grande Facility
La Grande, OR – January 18, 2010 – Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) is moving forward with its plans to build a new facility in La Grande.
In May 2009, OTEC announced it was beginning an investigation into the benefits of consolidating OTEC facilities in La Grande through the construction of a new single facility in the area. Since May, OTEC has worked with a local project manager to lead the investigation process and take the project to the next step.
“During our investigation process we evaluated the economics, location, and overall needs of a new facility,” says Werner Buehler, OTEC General Manager.
With the investigation process recently concluded, OTEC retained Steele Associates Architects, LLC, out of Bend, Oregon, to lead the design phase. “We interviewed several architectural firms and felt Steele Associates most closely met our needs,” states Buehler.
OTEC hopes to break ground on a new facility in the late spring of this year.
OTEC currently owns two facilities in La Grande. Both of these facilities are aging and will require significant expenditures to bring them up to current industry standards. The downtown office was constructed in the 1930’s and the service center was constructed in the mid 1960’s.
The new consolidated facility will be constructed on land currently owned by OTEC next to the Ladd Canyon Sub-station between Gekeler Lane and Highway 30.
Additionally, the two sites (the operations center on Cove Avenue and the downtown business office on Elm Street) currently owned by OTEC will be sold to help offset the costs.
“A single facility will improve efficiencies for OTEC members because all employees would now be under one roof, thus creating a “one-stop shopping" opportunity for OTEC members,” says Dave Baum, OTEC Board President.
“The reality is that OTEC is committed to its members and we are here to serve the area for years to come,” explains Werner Buehler, OTEC General Manager. “Despite the current economic climate, we are high on Eastern Oregon and are willing to step up and demonstrate our optimism through project and ultimately by putting more people to work in the area.”
“The project will put local people to work and will put money back into the community,” says Baum. “This is truly local economic development by a local company.”
The construction of a new facility is not expected to have an appreciable impact on utility rates.
OTEC is committed to seeking LEEDs certification. LEED is an internationally recognized certification system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) that measures how well a building or community performs across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
