On Friday, March 14, Lt. Governor Brian Calley signed Senate Bill 608, legislation authorizing Muskegon Community College to construct a 25,000-square-foot science laboratory and renovate 20,000 square feet of existing science facilities.
The Lt. Governor signed the Bill, now PA 34 of 2014, as Governor Snyder was out of the state. The cost of the $9.6 million project will be divided between MCC and the state, with the latter responsible for $4,646,600 of the total.
Groundbreaking for the project is scheduled for late spring or early summer this year with completion of all phases by December 2015.
“Since the completion of the College’s Facility Master Plan in 2010, improving science facilities has been the top priority identified by the MCC Board,” explained MCC President Dale K. Nesbary.
The master plan calls for a science/technology building addition with six new laboratories and six new classrooms, serving a combined 18 academic programs. Additionally, existing biology, chemistry, physics and technology space will be upgraded.
“The expansion and upgrades will address the national call to increase the number of students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors,” he added. “The expanded facility will also boost enrollment capacity, provide barrier-free access, improve technology integration, and protect investment in instructional equipment through secure storage.”
“I am gratified to note that students, faculty, staff, MCC Trustees and members of the community were integral in the passage of this legislation. I thank them as well as our partners in the Michigan Legislature and the Executive Branch. Now, our students will learn in state of the art laboratories, while our faculty will teach in the same. Our community may rest assured that Muskegon Community College will strive to provide the best education and talent development for Muskegon and West Michigan.”