BENTONVILLE -- Northwest Arkansas Community College is one step closer to having a facility of its own in Washington County.
A plan to build a 50,000-square-foot building in Washington County got the approval of the board of trustees Monday night.
Washington County Master Plan
Northwest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustee members approved Monday the development of a 50,000-square-foot facility in Springdale on 20 acres of land west of Arvest Ballpark to house Washington County classes at the college.
Source: Staff report
The Washington County center is planned on a 20-acre piece of property college officials purchased last year on the west side of Arvest Ballpark.
Combining the many locations the college has now in Washington County into one central location will benefit students, said Joe Spivey, board member. Spivey also served on the land use committee that forwarded the plan to the full board.
"It's a central location," Spivey said, pointing out the accessibility of the site to students.
With the Don Tyson Parkway complete students will be able to jump on Interstate 49 and be at the Springdale campus from Fayetteville in minutes.
Prior to the vote board members noted a children's hospital is planned on property across Watkins Avenue from the college property and Arvest Ballpark.
Mike Shupe, board trustee, pointed out the college negotiated first-right of refusal on property adjoining their site to the west.
The property was purchased by board action, but the money will have to come from donors, and likely those in Washington County, Shupe said.
Fundraising will be the next step for the building, said Evelyn Jorgenson, college president after the meeting.
Prospective donors want to know what programs they might offer, what size the building will be, if they have land to build it on.
The motion approved by the board sets the building size, location and programs of general education, dental assisting, early college experience, workforce training and special events.
Some programs held at the facility will be born of need. Construction technology is a need for local contractors and that is a program planned for the Washington County center, Jorgenson said.
Programs will not be competitive of other schools, Jorgenson said, but complimentary.
Northwest Technical Institute, for example, has auto body and diesel mechanics programs that Northwest Arkansas Community College won't replicate.
"We don't want to do those and we won't do those," she said.
The college ironed out agreements with Northwest Technical Institute this spring and the University of Arkansas -- Fort Smith last week to ensure the programs are complimentary. An agreement with Fayetteville neighbors at the University of Arkansas is in the works, she said.
Getting a plan in place with board approval was the last piece in approaching donors. The plan and drawings for the building are nearly complete. Once the drawings are finished college officials will have a better idea of the building's cost.
College officials arrived at an $11.5 million ballpark figure by estimating between $200 and $250 a square-foot cost based on other buildings.
"We've got the rough draft but the final document will come to us in September," Jorgenson said.
A Section on 08/11/2015