CRYSTAL LAKE - The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) has selected Ross Barney Architects as the preferred architectural design firm for the design of the Career, Technical and Manufacturing Center at McHenry County College. CDB will oversee the project's design and construction in accordance with the protocol for state-appropriated projects.
Through Governor Pritzker's bipartisan capital plan, the first in nearly a decade, McHenry County College will receive nearly $15.8 million from the state, with local matching funds supporting a total investment of $21.8 million. The project includes the construction of an approximately 52,300 square foot building on the main campus. The new facility will provide general operating space for reception, offices, workrooms, storage area, washrooms, and student lounge. The new business and technology space will include general and computer classrooms equipped to provide computer instruction, a testing center, HVAC, Computer Numerical Control (CNC), welding, flex, industrial maintenance, and other labs, development of a technical academy, incubator spaces, and other specialty spaces as identified in the building program.
"Through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the state is investing millions of dollars into educational facilities across the state to ensure our students have access to state of the art facilities needed to reach their goals," said Governor JB Pritzker. "This new Career, Technical and Manufacturing Center on the McHenry County College campus will be an invaluable resource where students can receive additional support and guidance as they prepare for the jobs of tomorrow."
"The Technical Manufacturing Center is made possible by funds from Governor JB Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois capital plan. We are happy to participate of such a profound initiative, which will prepare students for technical and manufacturing jobs in the workforce," said CDB Executive Director Jim Underwood.
"The Foglia Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation at McHenry County College will help transform the future of our county," said MCC President, Dr. Clint Gabbard. "This new learning space will play a key part in our community's economic progress, impacting the growth of our manufacturing and technology sectors, the growth of an inspired, trained workforce, and the growth of a population more firmly grounded in living in Illinois. We are thrilled that Ross Barney Architects has been chosen to help bring this important project to fruition, and we anxiously look forward to when our students will be able to learn in this new innovative space, gaining the skills that will serve them for a for a lifetime."
"The selection of an architectural design firm for this project is a significant step for the future of McHenry County College and its' prospective students. Community colleges provide the opportunity for targeted career training throughout Illinois, and the residents of McHenry will be direct beneficiaries of the new Career, Technical, and Manufacturing Center," remarked State Senator Craig Wilcox. "This level of investment in our local community colleges reflects the level of investment Illinois is making in the future of our workforce."
"As a business owner, I fully recognize the specialized training and education needs for our future workforce. This new Career, Technical, and Manufacturing Center will provide that specific training for those entering the trades, ideally resulting in those students immediately joining the local workforce upon certification," said State Representative Tom Weber. "I look forward to seeing the results of this campus addition in the coming years."
The historic Rebuild Illinois capital plan passed with bipartisan super-majorities and will invest $45 billion in roads, bridges, railways, universities, early childhood centers, and state facilities like the new crime lab and veterans' homes, creating, and supporting an estimated 540,000 jobs over the life of the six-year plan and revitalizing local economies across the state.
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