ECC breaks ground on referendum construction

With a bit of pomp and circumstance, Elgin Community College Friday morning officially kicked off construction on its $178 million campus "master plan."

College President David Sam, college board members, local village officials, students and area union members were on hand to break ground on construction and renovation of recently purchased office buildings at 410 and 466 Renner Drive.

The standing room only crowd had the chance to take a virtual tour of redesigned space. Located at the northwest end of campus, the former offices will be renovated into 26 new classrooms and five computer labs.

Next fall is the target completion date for the 410 Renner Drive renovations, Vice President of Business and Finance Sharon Konny said. The adjacent 466 Renner Drive building is expected to be finished by spring.

In the coming months, the college will break ground on several more projects, including a new health careers center and academic library.

The $178 million bond issue, which voters narrowly approved in April, will fund the first portion of a $387 million master plan to fully update the college by 2030.

Cost of various portions of the project were downgraded this week. The health careers center, originally expected to cost $60 million, will now cost $47.6 million, according to the board of trustees' January 26 meeting packet. The new academic library, originally slated at $26 million, will cost $17.6 million. Renovation of the student resource center will cost $24.5 million and a training facility for police, firefighters and emergency management technicians will cost $15 million.

The project also includes maintenance work, installation of a sprinkler system, re-roofing some buildings and adding energy-efficient windows.

"A year ago trustees were faced with this decision," Sam told the group. "We heard from many colleagues across higher education that it was a bad time for a referendum request. We thought it was the right time."

Second-year arts student Katie Sinde, of Hampshire, said she's particularly excited about renovations to the student center and the library, which she avoids at times because it's too crowded.

"It's a momentous occasion. Even if I'm not here to use the new facilities, I want to be able to tell my kids one day that I was there when all the building started," she said.