Architects outlined a possible design for a Career and Technical Education facility at Allen Community College.
The presentation last week gave the board of trustees a look at options for two new buildings, one for CTE classes and one for warehouse and storage space. If the board started the process in the next year, costs are estimated between $8 and $10 million. Waiting a year likely would add about $2 million to the total cost.
The board did not take any action on the presentation.
Scott Gales of Architect One, Inc. of Topeka talked about a plan that could potentially build a 25,000-square-foot facility, which could be expanded over time. His proposal would locate the facility on land recently purchased by Allen to the north of the campus, overlooking a small pond.
The building would have two attached rectangular structures.
One section would offer traditional lecture rooms and laboratories. The labs would include observation stations.
A set of four lecture classrooms would feature movable walls and doors so the entire area could be opened as a gathering space. It could serve about 275 people in a special event such as a banquet or conference. The building would include a catering kitchen and storage.
Gales noted the college does not currently have a dedicated space for special events and community gatherings. The college hosts numerous banquets throughout the year, typically held in the gymnasium.
The other section would offer a fabricator space that could be used for training in a variety of industries such as welding or automotive.
Gales referred to this as a “maker space,” that could be used by industries as a temporary training space. The industry and college would partner to set up machinery and use the space to train employees, either on a short-term or ongoing basis. Such a program would be particularly helpful for industries still in the construction phase; employees could be trained and ready to go on Day 1.
Though ACC president Bruce Moses didn’t discuss specific examples, EMP Shield in February announced plans to build a $ $1.9 billion computer chip manufacturing plant in rural Coffey County and to partner with educational institutions in the state to train employees.
THE FIRST step is to hire an engineer to conduct a soil test, Gales recommended.
“I would do that before you get too far. You’ll know right away if you need to make improvements” to the land, he said.
Such a study would show if and how the land can support a structure, and how water runoff might impact roads and infrastructure. That information will be useful for any type of structure the college may consider on the property in the future.
“It’s a great property,” Gales said. “I think you’re fortunate to have that for your campus.”
