Anderes

LA GRANDE — La Grande is about two months away from gaining its largest new apartment complex in at least two decades.

The $38.2 million 82-unit Timber Ridge apartment complex is projected to be completed by early fall, according to Kevin McMurry, of Bremik Construction of Portland, the general contractor for the affordable housing complex.

Timber Ridge will be opened in two phases, with the west half opening the end of August and the east half opening by the end of September. Electrical and plumbing work is now being completed in the west half of the complex, and sheet rock is beginning to be put in for the units in the east half.

“It is an exciting time,” said McMurry, the senior project superintendent for the Timber Ridge project.

More than 300 people have applied to live at the Timber Ridge complex, which sits on a 4.79-acre lot on East Q Avenue between 26th and 27th streets. Timber Ridge will have a total capacity of about 150 people, so it would appear that it has no immediate openings for tenants.

Although, Sarah Parker, the executive director of the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority, said this may not be the case.

“We are encouraging people to continue applying,” she said.

Parker said it may not be too late to secure an apartment at Timber Ridge. She said those who have applied still need to be screened to determine if they meet the complex’s qualifications. Parker said the application and screening process may weed out some applicants, and some who have applied may back out.

Brisk schedule

Construction of the Timber Ridge apartment complex began in July 2022. McMurry said the mild winter Northeastern Oregon experienced in 2022-23 was a great help in allowing construction crews to work at a brisk pace. “We are lucky that we had a mild winter,” he said. “It was a huge factor.”

Parker is pleased with the rapid pace construction crews at the site have maintained.

“It is pretty impressive how quickly it has gone up,” she said.

McMurry noted that many of those who have worked on the project are local subcontractors. He credits them with doing excellent work.

The project has progressed smoothly despite supply chain issues that threatened to slow things down. McMurry noted that some electrical components ordered a year ago only recently arrived. Fortunately, he said, this did not cause any delays and supply chain issues are now in the rear-view mirror at the Timber Ridge site.

Amenities

The apartment complex will have 32 one-bedroom units, 26 two-bedroom units, 20 three-bedroom units and two four-bedroom units. Outside of the units, Timber Ridge’s features will include a 4,500-square-

foot community building that will have a full kitchen and a large gathering space for community meals, a classroom and an early childhood education center. The community center will house Early Head Start classes provided by Eastern Oregon University Head Start.

Among the complex’s outdoor amenities, which are meant to promote a social environment, are a walking path, a community garden space, basketball and pickleball courts, an exercise station and a playground.

Community Development Partners, of Portland, is collaborating with Hunt Capital Partners, of Encino, California, and the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority to construct the Timber Ridge apartments.

Hunt Capital Partners is the tax credit syndication division of Hunt Companies. Hunt Capital Partners’ specialties include the sponsorship of federal and state low-income housing.

Northeast Oregon Housing Authority will be the owner and property manager of Timber Ridge, and Community Development Partners is serving as the complex’s developer.

Mitigating housing shortage

Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes said Timber Ridge will help alleviate the housing shortage that continues to grip the region.

“It is a step forward toward addressing some of the housing problems,” he said.

A high percentage of the people who have applied to live at Timber Ridge apartments are from Union County, Parker said.

The county commissioner noted that when Timber Ridge opens, the places now occupied by those moving in will become available to others in the community.