Guide Dogs for the Blind will more than double size of its Oregon campus

At its Boring facility, Guide Dogs for the Blind will begin construction this summer on a new 30,000-square-foot client housing and community center.

According to a news release from the group, the project would more than increase GDB’s ability to assist clients in Oregon by creating an inclusive complex that unites GDB customers, employees, puppy raisers, and other volunteers in one location. It will be the first of its sort in North America when it is finished.

In 1942, Guide Dogs for the Blind was established to assist returning World War II veterans who had lost their sight. Since then, the charity has trained over 16,000 guide dogs for anybody with vision impairments, not just veterans of the armed forces.

There are two locations for Guide Dogs for the Blind: its Boring location and its headquarters in San Rafael, California.

a broad overview of the new Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring idea.Lab Miers | Poon | Chou

The 28-acre Boring campus will see its first expansion since its 1995 opening with the new structure. Every year, about 150 dogs are trained there.

However, training is also provided to the clients who receive the canines. They learn how to work with their dog while living on-site at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus for two weeks. (Clients are not charged for any of this, including the dog.)

The number of rooms for visiting customers will increase from six to fourteen in the new two-story facility, more than doubling the capacity to serve multiple persons at once. The new facility will have a cafe and information center, as well as private suites for clients.

The project is being worked on by the architecture firm Studio Miers | Cho | Poonis. The organization pointed out that Chris Downey, a blind architect, contributes a distinct and inclusive viewpoint to the design team. Clients who are blind or visually handicapped also contributed to the planning process.

An illustration of the new Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring’s interior.Lab Miers | Poon | Chou

For the $28 million initiative, Guide Dogs for the Blind has raised $15 million so far and is currently raising the remaining funds. To raise money for the cause, the nonprofit organization started the Building Brighter Futures initiative.

In order to continue serving customers throughout construction, the existing Boring facility will be dismantled once the new one is finished.

About 20,000 square feet of outdoor sensory gardens and areas specifically designated for dog training and special events will be constructed on the site of the former structure.

The first half of 2027 is when the project is expected to be finished.

Here is Oregon and The Oregonian/OregonLive are covered by Samantha Swindler. You may reach her at oregonian.com/sswindler.

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