PARKERSBURG-West Virginia University at Parkersburg broke ground Tuesday on two construction projects.
Government officials, the college staff and community members gathered around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday for the official start of work on the college's planned child development and applied technology centers.
The $5 million applied technology building will accommodate welding technology, industrial maintenance and multi-craft technology classes. The 21,000-square-foot building will house four classrooms, two lab areas for hands-on learning and four faculty offices.
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More than a dozen state and local officials participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at West Virgin
The technology center will be a $1 million, one-of-a-kind child development center focusing on the arts, literacy, culture and technology to teach young children beyond the traditional classroom environment. The center will host the college's early learning program for children ages 2 to 8 and also serve as a lab school for the early childhood education program.
Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin spoke at the event, praising the college and speaking on the future of the new facilities.
"Today as we break ground here, I'd just say that I'm so proud and pleased with everything that is going on here," he said.
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Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin spoke at Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
Tomblin said while community and technical colleges were once seen as "the stepchildren of the four-year institutions," the colleges today play a valuable role in bringing businesses to West Virginia and providing opportunities for people throughout the community.
"We made a decision many years ago that we were going to change that, we were going to find their true mission," he said. "I can say today that we have truly done that."
Todd Anderson, regional coordinator for Sen. Joe Manchin, spoke on Manchin's behalf Tuesday, saying the senator was unable to attend the ceremony due to a death in the family.
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Government officials, the college staff and community members gathered Tuesday for the official start of work on the college's planned child development and applied technology centers.
James Skidmore, chancellor of the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, said the projects at WVU-P are the culmination of years of effort to get the state to invest in its community colleges.
Anderson read a letter from Manchin, which praised the addition of the two centers to the Parkersburg campus.
"I truly believe that the best way to invest in our future is by investing in the next generation who must compete globally," Manchin wrote. "West Virginia University at Parkersburg has made these opportunities a reality."
James Skidmore, chancellor of the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, said the projects at WVU-P are the culmination of years of effort to get the state to invest in its community colleges.
"I began to wonder if we'd ever get to this point, but we made it," he said. "These facilities, both of them, will help WVU Parkersburg and will help the state of West Virginia and our system to meet those goals of providing a skilled workforce and providing more college graduates."
Funding for these new projects was provided by a Higher Education Policy Commission bond passed two years ago at state level. Both projects are expected to be completed by May 1, 2012. The college's last groundbreaking ceremony was nearly 15 years ago when construction of the Caperton Center for Applied Technology began in October 1996.
