Sarah Parker, executive director of the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority, examines items in the Early Head Start classroom in the Timber Ridge Community Center in La Grande on Jan. 8, 2024.

LA GRANDE — A new one-story building is quietly opening in La Grande, and the facility is likely to make an unforgettable difference in a fledgling affordable housing community.

Timber Ridge Community Center in the $38.2 million 82-unit apartment complex, 3002 East Q Ave., became available for public use on Jan. 8.

“There is a lot of interest in it,” said Sarah Parker, executive director of the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority, which owns the Timber Ridge apartment complex.

The 4,500-square-foot community center, Parker said, appears more expansive inside than it does from its exterior.

“It is a bit overwhelming when you first look at it inside,” she said.

The building’s features include six rooms available to the public — a large multipurpose room with a spacious kitchen, two offices, a study area, a classroom and a conference room.

The building’s classroom will be Eastern Oregon University Head Start’s Early Head Start program, which is for children ages 3 and younger. Early Head Start classes will be offered at Timber Ridge Community Center once grants are secured for its operation. Until then, staff from the university’s Head Start will be coming to the center to teach socialization skills to children 3 and younger, according to Robert Kleng, the director of EOU Head Start.

Kleng said the education room provided to EOU Head Start at the community center is an ideal place. A number of the children who will be attending the program will come from families who live at the Timber Ridge apartment complex.

“It is best when families live as close as possible to the school their children attend,” he said.

One reason, Kleng said, is that this makes it easier for parents to receive instruction from educators on how to help educate their children. Kleng wants parents to realize that they are the most important teachers their children will have.

The office space at Timber Ridge Community Center will be available to people with outside organizations such as the Center for Human Development and the state’s Department of Human Resources to come and assist Timber Ridge residents and others. They will be able to assist residents in accessing government and community services, including health care services, nutrition services and employment skill training.

Kleng said this will be a big plus.

“They will know how to get them in contact with those who can assist them,” he said.

The facility will also be available for activities like teaching cooking and art classes and parties.

“We hope to make this a happening place,” Parker said.

The center is designed to attract people of all ages. For example, in addition to children and families, it is likely to draw in seniors with mobility issues because it meets American with Disabilities Act standards, Parker said.

“We want people of all ages to come together,” she said. “We do not want people to hole up in their apartments with their computers.”

Still, the community center will also be a place where people can come and work on computers using the facility’s Wi-Fi. In addition, its study area, named the Learning Lounge, has hard wiring that provides faster and more reliable internet connections. The Learning Lounge site also has six enclosed cubicles and two lounge areas.

“It is so cool,” Parker said. “It is a very functional, quiet space.”

Timber Ridge Community Center will be more than a place people can go to study and advance their skills. It will also be a place where movies can be shown on a large screen and celebrations can be conducted.

Such activities will add to the sense of community. Parker is excited to see what type of activities and classes end up taking place at the Community Center.

“The possibilities are endless,” she said.

Using the building

The Timber Ridge Community Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, starting in late January when office staff from the Northeast Oregon Housing Authority are moved into its offices. People who want to use the community center before then should call the housing authority at 541-963-5360 to make arrangements to do so.

The center will be available for use by public events for no cost although a $50 refundable deposit will be required. Only nonprofit events will be allowed, Sarah Parker, NEOHA executive director.