Perry Technical Institute broke ground on March 19, 2026, on a new expansion program designed to create more opportunities in the Yakima Valley, according to applevalleynewsnow.com.

The new 42,000-sq.-ft. Washington Fruit and Produce Technology Center will house the institute's two-year electrical technology program. Building features will include seven classrooms, seven labs and a rooftop solar lab.

"With today's electrification, it's neat that we are adding more solar technology," said Jason Lamiquiz, president of Perry Tech. "And it's great to see that new emerging technology is being infused into our program so we can better prepare our students for the workforce they will ultimately be employed in."

Lamiquiz said that the solar lab will help create jobs for local projects, including one in the Moxee area, according to applevalleynewsnow.com.

Although the general contractor wasn't named, one of its alumni, Derek Merrill, who co-owns Primary Electric, will perform the electrical work for the new center.

"It means a lot," Merrill said to applevalleynewsnow.com. "We're real proud to be able to work on the new building at Perry Tech, especially the electric technology building. I graduated here in ‘02, and to be able to come back here and build and drill the success of Perry Tech's success, it means a lot."

Lamiquiz believes the expansion can help take Perry Tech, and the Yakima Valley, to the next level.

"It's income mobility," Lamiquiz said. "You think of the opportunities that our graduates have with their incomes being able to increase after completing a program at Perry Tech — the sky's the limit."

Construction is expected to conclude in June 2027, according to applevalleynewsnow.com. With the electrical technology program moving to the new building, other programs at Perry Tech will be able to expand into the vacated space.