North Central Michigan College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony outside its Main Classroom Building (AD/CL Building) on the Petoskey campus on Monday, June 22, at 11 a.m.  The ceremony, held in the Harris Gardens near the site of a 150-person Student Commons addition, celebrates the start of the college’s $7.4 million Building Tomorrow Together construction project.

Planning and quiet fundraising for the project has been ongoing for more than a year.  The renovation and addition to the AD/CL Building, which was approved for a $3.4 million capital outlay from the State of Michigan, marks the first major change to the 60-year-old building that is used by nearly all students on campus. 

Phase I, which includes the addition of five high-tech classrooms and renovated corridors, is slated for completion by September 8, when students return to campus for the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.  Phase II, which includes the Student Services First Stop, Business Office Suite, and Foundation Office Suite, will be completed a month later.  The addition of a 3,000 sq. ft. Student Commons and three of the five new high-tech classrooms is slated for completion in Spring 2021.

Because of current restrictions to large gatherings, attendance at the groundbreaking is by invitation only, and proper social distancing and safety measures will be observed.

“This project symbolizes our efforts to build community and create a sense of belonging for all via the Building Tomorrow Together campaign,” said North Central President David Roland Finley, Ph.D.  “We are creating new formal, informal, and digital learning spaces to enable today’s students to achieve their dreams.  This campaign is vital to meeting our mission of providing exceptional, accessible, and relevant higher education for years to come.”

NCMC Foundation Executive Director Chelsea Platte said the groundbreaking is symbolic of the work the college and its partners are doing to change lives and communities for the better.

 “The Building Tomorrow Together project will strengthen our community and our regional economy by providing learners with ongoing access to the latest educational resources, job training, and student supports so that they can unlock their potential and build a better future right here in Northern Michigan,” Platte said.

Additional information about the renovation project — including livestream cameras that track the construction progress — is available on North Central’s website.

North Central Michigan College is an open-door community college based in Petoskey, with additional locations offering classes and services in Cheboygan and Gaylord.  North Central’s mission is to provide exceptional, accessible, relevant higher education of and for the community.  North Central is an Achieving the Dream Leader College with a designation of Veteran Friendly Silver by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

 

For more information:
Megan Van Horn
Content Media Administrator
231-439-6399