Bentonville's NorthWest Arkansas Community College Advances Building Plan

BENTONVILLE -- NorthWest Arkansas Community College will spend about $2.9 million to build out the third floor of its Center for Health Professions in anticipation of adding two programs there.

The college's board on Thursday approve spending the money. It will come from the college's ad valorem tax capital projects account, which has about $6.2 million, said Debi Buckley, chief financial officer.

The $2.9 million cost covers the cost of the build, including architectural and engineering services, construction, furnishings, technology and equipment.

The third floor of the Center for Health Professions, now vacant, has of 21,699 square feet, according to Jim Lay, college director of facilities construction and management. It will house the occupational and life skills program and the occupational therapy assistant program. Officials are planning to launch both programs in the fall.

The occupational and life skills program is intended to help people with cognitive disabilities develop the skills they need to get a job and become self-sufficient, according to college officials. The four-year program is modeled after one that's been offered at Bellevue College in Bellevue, Wash., for 14 years.

Cognitive disabilities cover a wide range of disabilities that affect mental functions. There are nearly 10,000 people living in Benton and Washington counties who have cognitive disabilities, according to Steven Gates, senior vice president for learning and provost.

The occupational therapy assistant program will teach students how to help people overcome difficulties they encounter in home or work environments because of physical impairments.

Though they both have "occupational" in their names, the two programs have nothing in common, said Evelyn Jorgenson, college president.

Both programs still require approval from the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board; they will be presented to that board Jan. 30.

The three-story center cost $14.2 million. It opened in January 2013. The first two floors house several programs related to the medical field.

The design work on the third floor is about 80 percent complete and will be finished by the end of January, Lay said. Bids on the project will be sought in February. Construction likely will begin in March and be finished by August.

In other business Thursday, the board voted to adopt a new facilities plan for the main campus.

The plan comes in two versions: one with the rail spur through the center of campus, and one without it. College officials tried to buy the spur this year, but the plan fell through because the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad couldn't convey a clear title for the land.

The updated plan comes while Bentonville is considering its own plan to extend Southeast Eighth Street across the college's campus to Water Tower Road, which borders the campus on its east side. Water Tower Road will be expanded as well. Construction of an Interstate 49 interchange also will take a bite out of college property.

The college's master plan captures a vision of how college officials would like to see Eighth Street built. That includes a roundabout where Eighth Street meets Water Tower Road. City officials haven't said no to that proposal, Buckley said.

The college's plan also features a quadrangle, framed by the Student Center on the south end, a new classroom building on the north end and an arts and events center on the east side. Officials also included two more classroom buildings and a second parking deck in the plan.

There is no timetable for adding any facilities to the campus.

"We really just wanted a template to give an idea of where these buildings might go," Buckley said.

The college's first priority from a facility standpoint is building its Washington County Center in Springdale, she said.