Montcalm Community College’s Greenville campus is growing with construction of its new advanced technology center continuing on schedule.
“The concrete work is done and steel is going up,” said MCC President Bob Ferrentino. “We are making good progress. Everything is on track for us.”
After all the steel framing is in place, construction crews will install steel joists, followed by steel decking, which is the base of the roof, and then steel studs, according to MCC Vice President for Administrative Services Jim Lantz.
Contractors broke ground on the site in May, where the 17,095-square-foot building will become a learning destination for students pursuing health careers and advanced technology training. The center is located on the 15-acre former home of the Montcalm County 4-H Fair on Hillcrest Street south of Greenville High School. The college purchased the property two years ago.
“With our evolving global economy, businesses and industries in the area need support for advanced training,” Ferrentino said. “This project is more than bricks and mortar. We are working on partnerships that will bring increased access to higher education to our Greenville campus.”
Features in the new building will include technology labs for advanced manufacturing applications, flexible classrooms for access to university-level courses, community areas featuring computer stations for student and public use, inviting spaces to conduct informal meetings and wireless high-speed Internet connection.
In addition to the new advanced technology center, the project includes some renovation to MCC’s Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC).
“We are remodeling some of our classrooms and computer labs to enhance our learning environment and increase our capacity to serve area learners,” Ferrentino said.
M-TEC construction is expected to be completed this month.
Lantz said all phases of construction are within budget.
“Bids were well within our budget, and there have been very few unanticipated costs,” he said.
Primary access to MCC’s Greenville campus will be at the intersection of Yellow Jacket Drive and Hillcrest Street.
Ferrentino said State Sen. Judy Emmons and State Rep. Rick Outman had a hand in the college’s ability to extend Yellow Jacket Drive. Through their work, the college was awarded $200,000 from the state of Michigan to support construction of the roadway.
“They went to bat for us for funding for the extension of the road,” Ferrentino said. “That $200,000 is certainly going to help us as we complete the project.”
The college has been awarded just over $2.7 million in state of Michigan capital outlay funds. With this investment, MCC, the MCC Foundation, and its philanthropic partners are half way to funding the $5.4 million project.
