77 university housing units coming to Newport

A three-story, 77-unit residential building is being constructed near Oregon State University ’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.

OSU broke ground in June on the $16.5 million project. High Ground Housing will serve students, staff and others working at the research and education center. The 34,000-square-foot building will feature 72 studio-style units and five two-bedroom units able to accommodate people for either short-term or long-term stays.

Construction is taking place on a five-acre parcel off Southeast 40th Street, about three-quarters of a mile from the marine science center campus. The site is outside of the tsunami inundation zone.

Mackenzie is the project’s architect. The general contractor is O’Brien-Lucas Ventures , a joint venture partnership of O’Brien Construction and Lucas Design-Build .

“The project is an essential next step for the research institute,” Mackenzie President Dietrich Wieland stated in an email. “It alleviates demand in the coastal housing market and addresses a broader community need.”

The new housing is expected to serve undergraduate students taking upper-division courses, postgraduate students, faculty researchers, instructors and teaching assistants, visiting researchers and other mission partners.

An efficient process was integral to getting the project off the ground and the team achieved this through an immersive two-day design charette, Wieland stated. The charette produced a central, unified concept from the concept phase through completion of the construction documentation.

The building is designed to take advantage of panelized modules that are prefabricated off-site by wood manufacturer Freres Engineered Wood , Wieland stated. These will then be assembled on-site. The wood will be visible in ceilings to bring in more warmth.

Amenities will include a sand volleyball court, outdoor seating, gathering areas, bike storage and a bike path. Also, the building’s ground floor will have an approximately 700-square-foot community gathering space for residents.

The building will be less than a quarter mile from wooded walking areas and less than a mile from the entrance of South Beach State Park, which has beach access.

The facility could be ready to open in fall 2025, according to current timelines.

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