Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Forest Service Building

 
McCormack Construction partnered with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the U.S. Forest Service on a ground-up forest service facility in Pendleton, Oregon, representing a unique collaboration between tribal, federal, and private entities. The $3.1 million project was completed in 2012 under the direction of Bill Tovey, CTUIR Forest Service, and represents a meaningful investment in natural resource management infrastructure. This partnership demonstrates shared commitment to sustainable forest stewardship on tribal lands.
 
The project involved construction of an 18,000-square-foot, two-story wood structure located at 46411 Yi’mine Way. McCormack served as CM/GC and design-build lead, delivering a facility designed to meet very exact standards for energy use and sustainability. The building supports collaborative forest management operations between CTUIR and the U.S. Forest Service, providing office space, meeting facilities, and operational resources for personnel managing the tribe’s forestry programs and natural resources.
 
Key challenges included constructing the facility on an accelerated eight-month timeline while meeting stringent energy efficiency and sustainability requirements that exceeded standard building practices. The unique collaboration between the tribe, federal government, architect of record, and McCormack Construction required tireless coordination to balance competing interests, regulatory requirements, and operational needs. Managing communication and decision-making across multiple stakeholders with different organizational structures and approval processes added complexity to an already demanding schedule.
 
To address these challenges, McCormack worked closely with CTUIR, the architect of record, and U.S. Forest Service representatives to ensure accurate programming and facility flow aligned with collaborative operational requirements. Massive value engineering efforts during pre-construction were essential to meeting sustainability goals while controlling costs and maintaining schedule feasibility. The team maintained strict schedule adherence and established clear communication protocols with all parties, ensuring that decisions were made efficiently and that all stakeholders remained informed and aligned throughout the accelerated construction process.
 
The CTUIR Forest Service Building was completed on time and under budget, establishing a strong relationship with both CTUIR and the U.S. Forest Service. For McCormack Construction, this project demonstrates expertise in sustainable building construction, multi-stakeholder project coordination, and the ability to deliver complex facilities that serve tribal sovereignty and natural resource management while meeting federal standards and accelerated timelines.