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Crews stand ready to restore the historic German American Society Building at Southeast Center

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The multiple rooms and large hallway reveal the building's original use as a nursing home for German-American seniors. Photo by Chris Gaede.

The multiple rooms and large hallway reveal the building’s original use as a nursing home for German-American seniors. Photo by Chris Gaede.

August 29, 2013
Written by Gina Whitehill-Baziuk

One of Outer Southeast Portland’s oldest buildings, the former German American Society, is slated for restoration and reincarnation as the new campus administration building for PCC’s growing Southeast Center. The College purchased the building in 2010?to support its expansion plans for?Southeast. The building is located on SE Division Street, two blocks west of SE 82nd Avenue.

PCC will connect the entrance on the building's second floor by reconstructing the historic stairway entrance on the building's south side. Photo by Chris Gaede.

PCC will connect these double doors on the second story by reconstructing the original 1911 stairway entrance on the building’s south side. Photo by Chris Gaede.

Currently, the College is waiting for the City to approve its building permit. Once the College receives the permit, O’Neill?crews will begin restoring the building, which was erected in 1911 as a nursing home for German-American seniors.

Plans call for reconstructing the original main stairway entrance into the building’s second story, putting in all new wood windows that replicate the original 1911 windows, replacing the interior stairway on the west end of the building, returning the lower level to its original exterior configuration and incorporating seismic upgrades.

PCC’s?2008 voter-approved?$374 million bond program is increasing opportunities for residents to access quality, affordable higher education close to where they live and work. Additional classrooms, updated equipment and technology, and advanced workforce training programs are helping?to pave the way for future employment options. For more information, visit?www.pcc.edu/about/bond/about.?

The historic German American Society building, constructed in 1911, will be the future home of Campus administration and PCC's Community Education Program. Photo by Chris Gaede.

The historic German American Society building, constructed in 1911, will be the future home of Campus administration and PCC’s Community Education Program. Photo by Chris Gaede.