Southwestern has seismic rehabilitation work done on Sitkum Hall, July 27

Business Oregon, Oregon’s economic development agency, has awarded Southwestern Oregon Community College a $497,755 grant to rehabilitate the Sitkum Hall building. In 2005, the Oregon Legislature established Oregon’s Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program to rehabilitate essential public buildings so that they have a better chance of tolerating a major earthquake. Southwestern is the only community college in the state awarded the grant. Sitkum Hall was chosen to be rehabilitated due to the high student traffic. Scott Partney Construction, Inc. is installing cross braces and sheer walls in the interior of the building. Outside, work is being done to tie existing exterior columns into new, seismicly engineered concrete columns. Due to construction needs, the existing roofing, gutters and hallway lights had to be demolished so a new roof, new LED recessed light fixtures and new gutters will also be installed on the building. Construction began June 12, 2015 and is set to complete September 15, 2015.