CLC holds groundbreaking for new café and campus core remodeling

Celebrating the start of the second major project in a $163 million plan to upgrade facilities, the College of Lake County will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at noon on May 16 for a new café and campus core remodeling on the Grayslake campus.

The ceremony will be held in the Main Lobby between the two commencement ceremonies being held on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Speakers will include CLC President Jerry Weber; Eva Gutierrez, Student Government Association president; Jose Figueroa, Student Government Association senator; and Lake County Board Chair Aaron Lawlor, commencement speaker.

The $24.7 million project consists of renovations to the Main Lobby, the checkerboard court, connecting link and atrium as well as the addition of a new café building overlooking Willow Lake. Construction will begin in June and completion is of the new building and renovated areas are scheduled for completion in July 2016.

The college's $163 million Sustainable Campus Master Plan includes improvements at all three CLC campuses. Other major components of the Master Plan include:

•A $28.3 million project to construct a new Science and Engineering building. The project consists of constructing a new three-story 41,900-square-foot building and renovating 25,000 square feet of space in the existing C Wing on the Grayslake campus. The State of Illinois will pay $17.5 million of the construction cost, and CLC the rest.

•A $4.8 million geothermal system to provide heating and cooling on the Grayslake campus.

•A and B Wing renovations at a cost of $37 million. This work will consist of HVAC modernization, renovation of space to create a one-stop student services center, addition of a new sprinkler system and classroom modernizations.

•A $47.9 million Lakeshore Campus expansion in Waukegan. This project, like the Science Building will receive State of Illinois funding through the Capital Development Board. The project will consist of constructing a new 53,090-square-foot building and renovating 19,704-square feet of existing space to create a full-service campus, expand academic offerings and enhance student support programs.

•A $1.67 million chemistry laboratory addition at the Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills.