The Thurston Life Foundation - Joyce A. Langeliers Family Center

The Thurston Life Foundation, a local non-profit, is funding a new commercial development in and for the Thurston community. Located across A Street just south of Thurston High School, the ‘Joyce A Langelier Family Center’ specifically aims to serve youth and families in the area and is comprised of two buildings sharing an outdoor plaza. The Thurston Life Foundation’s mission statement is “to seek the well-being of the community through Initiatives and Strategic Partnerships that contribute to the Social, Emotional and Spiritual Health of our Community”. The design of the ‘Joyce A Langelier Family Center’ focuses on drawing people in, with large expanses of glass storefront, welcoming common spaces, and inviting locally owned, community oriented businesses & services to be a part of the project.

Location — Springfield, OR

Year Completed — Projected 2026

The northern building of the Family Center provides an after school drop-in center, a new Washburne café, a rentable conference room, and a Young Life office on one side, and an Arise Counseling office on the other. The bright, open seating area of the drop-in and café space will serve as the new home for the Springfield Young Life Club, being able to provide a comfortably large meeting space in the evenings after the café is closed.

The southern building hosts a brand new restaurant for Track Town Pizza and a large, rentable community center space. These two spaces are joined by a large overhead door which can be opened up for big events, like Thurston Football game days and other special occasions, to bring even more of the community together.

Project Team: