By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College will break ground Monday on a nearly 39,000-square foot classroom building that will likely be full by the time it is completed.
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners and others have been invited to the groundbreaking Monday at 3:30 p.m. at the North Campus off Jake Alexander Boulevard.
The eighth building on the campus, Building 400 will go in along the new entrance off Old Concord Road. The entrance has been completed and a new sign is planned.
Yates-Chreitzberg-Hughes Architecture of Concord designed the building that will serve as the primary facility for corporate continuing education, according to Jerry Chandler, the college’s vice president.
In addition to standard instructional classrooms, it will have several computer labs and areas for law enforcement training.
The schedule calls for completion of the building in 12 months with the opening for the fall of 2010.
“Each time we open a new facility, the enrollment grows exponentially,” Chandler said. “There’s a lot of demand in this economy. As underemployment and recession continue, our enrollment will increase. That’s been the experience for the last 50 years.”
Currently, there are 5,978 students enrolled in degree and diploma programs at the college. That’s a 17 percent increase over last spring óabout 900 students more than last year.
The recession is also credited with giving the college and taxpayers a very good deal on the building. After 72 bids came in, Summit Developers of Salisbury won the contract with a low bid of just under $5.6 million.
The bid was 19 percent under the projected price for the project.
Chandler said that has enabled to college to use the extra money for “green-type additions.”
The additions will include energy efficient components.
It will also enable RCCC to pay $200,000 for a larger water line. Previously, the county had agreed to pay for the line if money wasn’t available.
Plans call for a walkway through the woods from other areas of the campus.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.