Donors who helped raise $3.75 million toward the construction of the Emerging Technologies Center got an early look at the 45,000-square-foot facility Friday evening at Hopkinsville Community College.
“This building, this space, is nothing short of spectacular,” Dr. Alissa Young, HCC president, told the donors who toured the building on the North Drive campus.
The Emerging Technologies Center is expected to open for classes by the end of the month, and a building dedication is set for noon Aug. 29.
The two-story building houses two computer labs, a medical simulation center, several classrooms and a large public space designed as an atrium in the center. It is the first new facility built at HCC in 20 years.
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The center will broaden HCC’s capacity to teach technical skills for health, agriculture and industrial fields.
The college began planning for the center several years ago in response to the region’s needs.
Funding became available after the General Assembly authorized the BuildSmart Investment effort in 2014 through the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. HCC applied for a $15 million project, which meant the community had to raise $3.75 million to receive the remaining $11.25 million from the state.
Eston Glover and Terri Henderson chaired the local BuildSmart fundraising campaign. Both spoke Friday evening and thanked the donors.
The center is a big statement. It says, “We want more for our young people,” Glover said.
Every room and public space in the center bears the name of a major donor.
A signature feature of the building’s interior is the original Hopkinsville Community College sign that was erected at the college’s main entrance when the school opened in 1965. The large teal sign now hangs in the Emerging Technologies Center’s atrium.
As a result of the center’s development, HCC is offering three new associate degrees — in surgical technology, medical assisting and medical information technology. New programs are also planned for physical therapy assistants and precision agriculture.
HCC’s enrollment is approximately 2,800. Young said she expects the college will see some growth because of new programs offered at the center.
“This opens a door of opportunity for our community,” she said.
Donors who were recognized at Friday’s event included: Christian Fiscal Court, City of Hopkinsville, Jennie Stuart Health, Trigg Fiscal Court, Todd Fiscal Court, Wendy and Fred Anderson, Don and Terri Henderson, the estate of William Hinton, Beth Mann (in memory of Elizabeth and D.J. Everett), Pennyrile Electric, Planters Bank, the Rechter Family Trust, United Southern Bank (in memory of Jack Moore), Flynn Enterprises, Mike and Marilyn Foster, Hopkinsville Electric, First Financial Bank, Cadiz Rotary Club and Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority. In all, more than 170 gifts were made to the campaign by HCC faculty and staff, local individuals, businesses, utilities and government partners.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
