Groundbreaking Set for Nixyáawii Neighborhood Construction

Mission, OR – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Board of Trustees will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, February 14, 2022, at 3:15 p.m. to celebrate the start of construction for, Nixyáawii neighborhood, a 13 acre parcel of land south of Nixyáawii High School and Education Center and Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center.

Nixyáawii neighborhood will feature 50 residential market-rate lots available to CTUIR tribal members, 18 years and older, through the acquisition of a 99-year lease. The 99-year lease give individuals the right to build, live, and enjoy that property much like conventional land ownership. The updated schedule for leases to become available is late spring. Single lots range from 4,000 to 6,800 square feet. Other amenities include rear loaded lots with alleyways, a neighborhood park, and walkable design features such as a sidewalks and greenways. 

Infrastructure such as streets, sidewalks, water, sewer, power, natural gas and fiber optic cable construction is set to begin on February 14, 2022 and continue for about 6 months.  After construction, individuals who hold a lease-lot may begin the permitting and design process to construct their own homes that best suits their needs.  The construction and design team includes the CTUIR Housing Development Team with coordination with Wenaha Group as owner’s representative and Rotschy Inc., as the General Contractor.

“This is the beginning of a new chapter for the CTUIR in creating affordable home sites. We have many projects aimed at providing a range of lots sizes and neighborhood amenities for tribal members to build, buy, and live in homes of their choosing. It takes time to build that market, and this is only the beginning,” said J.D. Tovey III, Planning Director for CTUIR. “The Reservation is the home of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Indians, but for a long time it was difficult for tribal members to actually live on the reservation – because of fractionation, high land prices, or construction barriers such wells and septic tanks. This neighborhood will be a compact residential neighborhood on Tribal Water and Sewer. It is designed to be a walkable neighborhood so residents can easily walk to and from work or events.”