Clackamas Community College will break ground Dec. 7 on a $56 million natural resources center at its Oregon City campus, as first reported by OregonLive.

The ceremony for the Holden Natural Resources Center is set for 3:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, near the Beavercreek entrance. It will happen rain or shine. The college serves students across Clackamas County, including families in Lake Oswego, West Linn and Oregon City.

The 38,000-square-foot building will consolidate the college's environmental and agricultural programs under one roof with Oregon State University Extension Service's Clackamas County office. Construction is scheduled to start in winter 2027, and the center is set to open in spring 2028.

One feature sets the project apart: a dedicated indoor tree-climbing lab. The college says only one other college in the country has a comparable lab, and just two or three industry-run training centers offer one.

Arboriculture students will practice rope access, aerial rescue and safe climbing techniques indoors.

The building will house programs in water and environmental technology, horticulture, landscape management, organic farming, arboriculture and wildland fire. Plans call for labs, classrooms, a covered outdoor classroom, a water and environmental testing lab, and more than 8,000 square feet of teaching gardens.

College officials say the current buildings lack the specialized labs and outdoor learning space needed as enrollment grows. The new center will replace an existing storage barn near the campus Environmental Learning Center.

How it's funded

Terry and Cheryl Holden gave $5 million toward the center, bringing their total giving to the Clackamas Community College Foundation to $10 million. Their first $5 million gift in 2021 helped pay for the Holden Industrial Technology Center and created scholarships for career-technical education students. Cheryl Holden is from Estacada, and Terry Holden is from Molalla.

Most of the project will be paid for with part of a $120 million bond that voters approved in November 2024. OSU Extension Service is contributing $15.9 million, and the state is providing $8 million in matching funds. College spokesperson Lori Hall said in June that the Holdens' donation will "stretch our tax dollars further."

"Our students are preparing for careers that touch all of our lives, from the water we drink to the forests and farms that sustain our communities," college President Tim Cook said in a statement.

OSU Extension moves in

The Clackamas County Extension Service will get its own space in the building, including classrooms, meeting areas and a kitchen. Extension faculty, staff and volunteers offer workshops and services to farmers, gardeners, landowners and young people in 4-H.

Kris Elliott, director of OSU Extension Service, said the move will make it easier for county residents to get the expertise and resources they need. Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader called the project an investment in county residents.

Construction is expected to begin in winter 2027, with the center opening in spring 2028.