Montcalm Community College was presented a $200,000 check on Tuesday during a press conference on the college’s Greenville campus hosted by State Rep. Rick Outman.
Pictured, from left, are MCC Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Robert Marston, MCC Board of Trustees Chairwoman Karen Carbonelli, State Sen. Judy Emmons, State Rep. Rick Outman, Lt. Governor Brian Calley, Greenville Public Schools Superintendent Pete Haines, Greenville City Manager George Bosanic and Greenville Mayor John Hoppough. Photo courtesy of The Daily News in Greenville.
The money is earmarked to help pay for the extension of Yellow Jacket Drive, which will connect the road to Hillcrest Street. The roadway currently runs from Greenville West Drive east to the edge of the former fairgrounds property, north of Greenville High School. MCC purchased the former fairgrounds two years ago and added it to its existing Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC) property to expand the college’s Greenville campus. Construction of a 17,095-square-foot advanced technology center, which will become a learning destination for students pursuing health careers and advanced technology training, is on schedule and within budget on this parcel of land.
Outman, State Sen. Judy Emmons and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley worked together to leverage the $200,000 project funding through the appropriation of a supplemental budget at the state level.
MCC Board of Trustees’ Chairwoman Karen Carbonelli thanked the lawmakers for their support of the college and the state’s support of the building project.
“We are fortunate to live in a community where the spirit of collaboration among many different partners – including the state, the city of Greenville, our K-12 schools, health care, agriculture, business and industry and MCC — fuels a positive outlook for our future,” Carbonelli said. “For our region to grow and become stronger, more competitive economically and more dynamic culturally, we must work together to utilize our assets and build on our strengths, make improvements and seize new opportunities. Expanding Yellow Jacket Drive is a first, important step in this process.”
Features in the new building 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).
The building is expected to open in the spring of 2013.
