North Georgia Technical College broke ground this week on a new multi-million dollar Industrial Technology Center on its Clarkesville campus. The building will house the college’s CNC Machine Tool and air conditioning programs and economic development department.
The Georgia State Legislature approved $12 million in construction funding last year and allotted another $2 million this year for equipment and furnishings, bringing the total project cost to $14 million.
The new 45,000 square-foot-facility will be built on the south side of campus where the the Porter Yearwood building and horticulture greenhouses now sit. Porter Yearwood will be torn down and the greenhouses will be relocated to another part of campus, according to NGTC President Dr. Mark Ivester.
The new facility is expected to positively impact enrollment.
“In 2011 when we built the welding building we saw the enrollment go from about 37 students up to about 128. The reason is,” Ivester explains, “these young students, it matters to them if you’re walking into a 1950s building and you’re trying to learn a new skill. A new building will allow us to expand a little bit and it will also help us draw more students.”
50th District State Senator John Wilkinson and 10th District State Rep. Terry Rogers were among the dignitaries on hand Wednesday for the groundbreaking ceremony.
“I’m pleased and excited to have been a part of this groundbreaking,” Rogers says. “The addition of the new Industrial Technology Center is just one more tool which NGTC can use in helping us develop a well prepared workforce for our area.”
Drawings of the new building, which has been under design for the past year, were unveiled during the ceremony. Construction is expected to begin in June and will take about 16 months to complete.
“We’re excited about it. It takes a lot of planning to get something like this off the ground,” says Ivester.
Rep. Rogers adds, “We’re blessed to have this fine school in our area and I’m looking forward to seeing even greater results in the future, because of the new skills our students can obtain in this facility. I can’t wait for it to be completed!”
For more pictures of the groundbreaking ceremony visit North Georgia Technical College on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NGTCNEWS/.
