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Regional 'Core 3' emergency coordination center presented to Sisters council; $25M capital campaign now mostly funded, $10M gap remains
Summary
Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) briefed Sisters on Core 3, a proposed multiagency emergency coordination and training campus sited in Redmond; staff said the site is shovel‑ready for phase 1, the project seeks roughly $25M in capital with about $10M still to raise and is being included in a state bonding proposal.
Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council representatives told the Sisters City Council about regional work to develop "Core 3," a 300‑acre emergency coordination, training and resilience campus sited near Redmond intended to serve Central and Eastern Oregon.
Tammy Baney, COIC executive director, outlined COIC’s role as a regional council of governments that supports workforce services, youth education, loan programs and transit. Shelby Knight, COIC community development programs administrator, delivered the Core 3 briefing and said the project is designed as a "Swiss‑army knife" for emergency coordination — combining a multiagency operations center, training facilities and continuity space for state partners.
Knight said the site is through design development, that the county dedicated the land and that the team has received initial state investments but still faces a capital shortfall. "We have about $25,000,000 for phase 1, and we need about $10,000,000 more," Knight said, and reported coordination with Representative Evans to include bonding authority in a legislative package to support Core 3. The plan calls for access to Redmond Airport (a federal incident support base) and a nearby mass‑care site at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center for sheltering and distribution during a major Cascadia incident.
Councilors asked about siting, potential for on‑site housing during emergencies, and governance. Knight said initial land‑use choices intentionally excluded permanent housing but that the Spartacus bill language being explored could authorize temporary on‑site accommodations in a declared response.
COIC emphasized Core 3 is a multiagency program with roughly two dozen participating agencies and 11 state agencies advising; the group is finalizing site preparation (21st Street construction) and a capital campaign and expects to be construction‑ready for 2027 pending final state investment.
