Heart of Oregon Corps to light up a big heart at topping-off ceremony for its new Redmond campus
KTVZ
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Heart of Oregon Corps will hold a topping-off ceremony Monday evening at its new $7.3 million, 3.4-acre site in Redmond to celebrate the completion of the steel frame construction of the new main building at Central Oregon’s first workforce development campus.
During the brief ceremony, a large five-foot-tall heart atop the structure will be illuminated “as a symbol of the bright light the campus represents for youth on the workforce track and for our regional economic development,” the organization said in a news release Friday:
The new central campus will be a generational resource for young people seeking thriving careers and will serve as a foundational building block of a strong economy as Heart of Oregon trains young people to solve our region’s greatest challenges including affordable housing, the childcare shortage, wildfire fuels reduction and conservation.
“The construction of this campus has been years in the making, beginning with the initial $2 million grant that COBA helped Heart of Oregon secure from the state of Oregon,” said Tim Knopp, executive vice president of the Central Oregon Builders Association.
“For 25 years, Heart of Oregon youth and young adults have strengthened our region — building not only their futures, but also the economic and environmental vitality of Central Oregon. This topping off ceremony honors their contributions and underscores the significance of this campus to our community’s success.”
The topping off and heart lighting will be livestreamed on Heart of Oregon’s Facebook page, with the video remaining up for all to see after the event. The heart will remain illuminated throughout the holiday season and can be seen from the intersection of SE 9th Street and East Highway 126, near the new roundabout.
With construction underway on the new centralized campus, Heart of Oregon’s Legacy 25 campaign has already raised $5.67 million and is working hard to secure the final $1.63 million to ensure the campus opens on time in September 2026. Donors can visit www.hoccampus.org to make a contribution by Dec. 31 to help secure the remaiining needed funding for the project.
For 25 years, Heart of Oregon has prepared more than 5,000 young people for careers. Since 2000, the organization has relied on leased and aging facilities that no longer meet the growing demand for its programs.
The campus will serve as the cornerstone of Heart of Oregon’s operations, complemented by satellite locations in Madras and Prineville. Together, these sites form a connected network that allows rural youth to build skills close to home while also engaging with peers from across Central Oregon through shared training and collaborative learning opportunities.
“The lighting of this heart atop the frame of our new campus building celebrates our hard-working youth and their dedication to serving our region,” said Laura Handy, executive director of Heart of Oregon Corps. “This event marks not just the rise of a building, but the creation of a place where young adults will continue to gain skills, confidence and purpose as they build brighter futures for themselves and for Central Oregon.”
Designed with youth at its heart, the campus incorporates trauma-informed principles and cultural elements that foster belonging, connection and pride. The 6,600-square-foot campus center will house classrooms, offices and gathering spaces, while the adjacent 14,000-square-foot warehouse will become a hands-on training hub for emerging workers across Central Oregon. Six large equipment bays will offer storage for Heart of Oregon Corps fleet of equipment including wood chippers, trailers, and vehicles.
Heart of Oregon is grateful to the major donors to the project including Deschutes County, Crevier Family Foundation, First Interstate Bank, Hayden Homes, Les Schwab, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, MJ Murdock Charitable Trust, PGE Foundation, R & H Construction, The Autzen Foundation, The Bend Foundation, The Clark Family Legacy Foundation, The Collins Foundation, The Healy Foundation, The Joseph and Elizabeth Hoffart Charitable Foundation, The Max and Marie Anna Richter Family Fund of OCF, The Rosendin Foundation, The Roundhouse Foundation, The State of Oregon, and Tykeson Family Foundation.
Learn more and make a donation to this visionary campus campaign on the Legacy 25 website.