College of Lake County Announces Waukegan Lakeshore Campus Expansion Begins
In collaboration with the Illinois Capital Development Board, College of Lake County (CLC) will soon begin construction on a new six-story building to enhance the urban Lakeshore Campus in Waukegan. Please excuse the noise and truck traffic as construction begins so CLC can provide local students with $48 million of expansion to increase educational opportunities.
The college is here for all Lake County residents, and those in the northeastern part of Lake County will especially benefit from the campus' growing location in downtown Waukegan. It's easily accessible by car, bus, bike, train or on foot. More than one-third of CLC students live in the northeastern part of Lake County.
The Lakeshore Campus along Genesee Street serves as a community hub, supports economic growth by ensuring educational attainment leading to family-sustaining careers, and through community partnerships, offers access to events and job fairs that benefit the entire community, CLC President Dr. Lori Suddick explained as she presented an update to the Waukegan City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
"This substantial development provides comprehensive student support services and programs in Waukegan designed to meet the regional high-demand advanced workforce needs," said CLC Board of Trustees Chair Dr. William M. Griffin. "We want a first-class facility in Waukegan. Together with Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham, we anticipate this urban campus project to serve as a catalyst for future downtown development. We are in partnership with him in our desire to further build Waukegan as a college town."
Mayor Cunningham said he is excited that CLC is moving forward with the project.
"The expansion of professional-level training along with added curriculum of college-level courses provided at CLC's Lakeshore Campus will help further establish their presence in downtown Waukegan," he said. "The city of Waukegan and the College of Lake County are working in partnership to identify the needs of the residents in northeast Lake County and provide the services necessary to help them succeed in their post-secondary education or professional development. This will be an amazing new facility that will utilize Waukegan's access to public transportation, will connect directly to our vibrant arts community and will highlight some of our most scenic views of our lakefront and downtown opportunities."
The new building, a Student Center at 34 N. Sheridan Road, is a highly anticipated addition to Waukegan's lakeshore landscape. It will be fully integrated on campus, linking the second and third floors to the college's 33 N. Genesee building. Substantial completion of the Student Center is expected by fall 2022.
The Student Center will include 62,692 square feet of new construction and will house support services, a library, community meeting space, Welcome and One-Stop Center, laboratories and career placement. Adult education services also will be included and integrated into the new Student Center. Further, the new building will include four testing rooms, a tutoring center, four general education classrooms and large multi-purpose space that can be subdivided.
In addition to the new construction, the project will include 4,665 square feet of existing building renovation consisting of improvements to the Children's Learning Center and the science laboratory in 33 N. Genesee St. plus renovation for a new classroom in 111 N. Genesee St.
Over the past two years, with the support of the Board of Trustees, CLC has made investments to expand programming at its Lakeshore Campus, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC); automation, robotics and mechatronics, and adding to the healthcare programs already offered at this location. This expansion is part of the Lakeshore Commitment which offers more classes than ever, flexible scheduling, full course schedule options, extended course registration deadlines and general core course offerings guaranteed each semester to ensure access and success for students.
The completion of the Student Center will provide further opportunities for the college to continue program expansions in other fields of interest, including digital media, manufacturing, hospitality, horticulture and entrepreneurship through the renovation of existing facilities.
Funds include new building construction, remodeling and moveable equipment, utilities, site improvements and fees.
This project meets CLC's commitment to sustainability. The new Student Center has been designed with the intent to achieve U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification.