A few blocks from the footprint of the newly erected Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Terrace Heights, signs lined the sides of the road indicating a special event was just ahead.

Those signs led to a crowd estimated at more than 700 people assembled outside of the school's first building -- Butler-Haney Hall -- which will house the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The gathering of community members, investors, volunteers and members of the medical community were there for the dedication ceremony of the Pacific Northwest's first new medical school to open in 60 years.

"It's a very humbling experience to see this many people here for the dedication ceremony," said Lloyd Butler, chairman of the Pacific Northwest board of directors.

During the ceremony, which lasted about an hour and a half, the school's president, Stanley Flemming, acknowledged many of the people who helped the school move from idea to reality. Several government officials, or their representatives, were on hand, including Mike Gregoire, husband of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Plans for the new medical college were first publicly announced in April 2005. Since then, the project has had some ups and downs. But to see it become a reality en route to the start of classes Aug. 4 is an exhilarating relief, Butler said.

A few members of the inaugural class of 75 students were also at the ceremony, and many gave tours of the new building.

Ron Nilson and Roberta Church, from the Chehalis, Wash., area, were among those touring the building. Their daughter, Holly Nilson, will begin classes at the university next month.

"We heard so much about the facility, we just wanted to see it firsthand," Ron Nilson said.

"It's overwhelming to me," he added, speaking of both the building and the turnout for the dedication.

While much of the event lauded the school's progress, Butler said more work lies ahead. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is just the first of what he and other university officials hope will be a growing campus.

University administrators are in the process of launching a feasibility study to see which additional disciplines of training are most needed. That study could provide more direction within the next six months, he said.

Ultimately, Butler predicts that the university could grow to include up to 10 buildings within the next 15 years and could enroll as many as 1,000 students.

That's a sign that could point to more special events in the future for the university.

* James Joyce III can be reached at 577-7675 or jjoyce@yakimaherald.com.