Black Hawk College is finishing one renovation this summer and commencing another in Moline. The renovations are part of the college's facilities master plan, which included building one's renovation back in 2019.
"Most of those buildings are 50 years old or more and it was time for updates," President of Black Hawk College Dr. Jeremy Thomas said in a phone interview with WVIK.
Building 3 renovations include new athletic fitness facilities, a food pantry, natural science labs, classrooms, and a new entry point.
The building is also adding a new computer lab.
"Education has changed a little bit over the years. When you take our science labs we didn't have computers 50 years ago in our classrooms, now we do," Thomas said.
The renovation cost the college $40.8 million and is paid for using bonds.
Thomas says the instructional classrooms will be open on Monday with full facility operations available at the end of August.
As Building 3 prepares to open to staff and students next week Building 2 is undergoing its estimated 18-month renovation. That renovation is including a highway construction program within the facility as well as other new offerings.
"We've not had welding on the Quad Cities campus in the past, we now are doing an addition to that building that will be all welding. So that we can help our local workforce," Thomas said. "Our computer science and other such programs that are really designed for students who want to earn their degree or certificate with us and immediately go out into the workforce and be employable. That is going to be the focus of that building."
Building 2 renovations are estimated to cost $29.3 million.
There will be an official ribbon cutting ceremony for Building 3 on September 14th. The college is also honoring staff who retired during the beginning of COVID-19 as well as hosting an alumni versus current students in a game of baseball and softball.
