A rendering of the Columbia Gorge Early Learning and Climate Resiliency Hub in The Dalles. After losing $20 million of federal funding, it’s uncertain when the project will be complete.
A rendering of the Columbia Gorge Early Learning and Climate Resiliency Hub in The Dalles. After losing $20 million of federal funding, it’s uncertain when the project will be complete.
THE DALLES — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently suspended a nearly $20 million grant critical to bringing the Columbia Gorge Early Learning and Climate Resiliency Hub off the ground.
The project, spearheaded by the Columbia Gorge Education Service District (CGESD), Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) and several other partners, would have provided childcare to more than 200 local kids, offered many career progression opportunities and served as an emergency response shelter by remodeling Chenowith Middle School and powering it with renewable energy. Tentatively set to open in September 2026, there’s now no timeline for the project.
“Understandably, the community team that has developed and stewarded this project for more than 5 years is disappointed by this news,” Dana Pedersen, CGESD superintendent, said in a statement. “I share their frustration. We remain committed to pursuing every option available to us for financing this project. However, as it stands, we do not have the funding required to proceed.”
The EPA never explained why the grant was revoked, nor did the agency issue an official notice, while partners discussed the project weekly and had completed the preliminary design work. In Wasco County alone, more than 1,200 kids under the age of five don’t have adequate childcare, according to the district’s data.
“In order for parents to be able to take a job, they need to have access to affordable, high-quality childcare,” said CGCC President Kenneth Lawson, emphasizing how some local industries already can’t meet workforce needs due to this obstacle.
Lawson further described how CGCC’s early childhood education students could’ve gained hands-on experience through the hub. Beyond fronting construction costs, the grant included substantial scholarship support for 120 CGCC students pursuing careers in climate-focused fields like electromechanical technology, green building, advanced manufacturing and agriculture technology.
With a public transit stop, electric vehicle charging stations and stable green energy, the hub was also intended to transition away from childcare center to emergency response during extreme weather events. As a result of climate change, floods, heat waves, cold snaps, high winds, droughts and extreme precipitation have all become more common across the Pacific Northwest, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“It would be a great public resource, not just for parents who need childcare, but it would be a great hub for our community and for resiliency in our community,” said Lawson.
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