State approves Center for Workforce Development design
Nov 3, 2020WENTWORTH 鈥� The Center for Workforce Development should begin construction in 13 months.
On Friday, Oct. 30, the approved the second stage of the project, design development, which involved finalizing the facility layout. Now the third and final stage begins, involving construction documents.
鈥淐ollege staff will meet with the architects this month to decide on finishes for the buildings, such as colors, carpets and that type of thing,鈥� said Dr. Tony Gunn, RCC鈥檚 associate vice president for Facilities & External Affairs.
The estimated $19 million price tag of the 41,200 square foot facility is funded by the county鈥檚 quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in May 2018.
Timeline
The construction document phase will continue through March 2021.
Advertisements for bids will begin in September 2021.
Construction will take place from December 2021 to February 2023.
Programs will move into the building in April and May 2023.
Building Interior
Several programs will relocate from the outdated Industrial Technologies Buildings to the Center for Workforce Development: Computer Integrated Machining, Electrical Systems, and Industrial Systems.
The facility will house RCC鈥檚 Small Business Center, which is currently located in the Bishopric Center for Lifelong Learning, and faculty offices and a corporate meeting space.
Charlotte-based ADW Architects made some requested changes to the plans, prompted by the RCC Board of Trustees. They increased the seating capacity in the corporate meeting space from 136 to 194 and added 1,200 square feet to its size, according to ADW Senior Principal Phillip Steele. It will have tables and chairs that can be rearranged or stored completely, projection screens, acoustical wall panels, and more.
Architect Jonathan Koricke described the center鈥檚 main lobby as 鈥渙pen and inviting, your showcase space for the entire building. It鈥檚 contemporary and clean, a very open, double-height space.鈥�
A student lounge will have a window that looks into a robotics lab. The lounge will have a touch-screen TV for viewing videos from various departments, and is a place 鈥渇or students to disengage from the day-to-day activities of being in class all day,鈥� Steele said.
Design Excitement
Members of the RCC Board of Trustees were thrilled in July when ADW presented their updates.
鈥淚t looks great. It鈥檚 uplifting for students and the community,鈥� said Trustee Tango Moore.
鈥淭he architects have done an excellent job of incorporating the college鈥檚 needs,鈥� said Trustee Hal Griffin.
RCC President Dr. Mark Kinlaw said he looks forward to what the future holds for both the College and the community.
鈥淭he Center for Workforce Development is another crown jewel of the campus, much like the simulated hospital in the Jerry Owens Health Science Building,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e will be able to serve our students at a much higher level with state-of-the-art equipment, giving them the perfect foundation for employment with industries across the Rockingham County. It鈥檚 win-win for everyone involved.鈥�
RCC鈥檚 new facility will greatly enhance the community鈥檚 current and future workforce with continuing education and training opportunities to meet the growing demands of a more diverse, high-technology job market.
For updates and additional materials related to the project, visit /about/capital-improvements/.
