Mississippi community college plans expansion
Itawamba Community College recently solved its expansion problems with the purchase of a vacant industrial building in Tupelo that has been renamed the Belden Center. (Photo courtesy Itawamba Community College)
That was the position of the Itawamba Community College, which has campuses in Fulton and Tupelo, Miss.
ICC has seen significant enrollment increases with more than 10 percent additional students this past year and another 10 percent bump up in enrollment expected this fall.
“For the past 10 years, we have experienced significant growth at ICC,” said James Williams, vice president of community services, ICC. “We have literally run out of room. We have more students than space for them. The Tupelo campus is out of space for classes and other uses. Every department was competing for space at a premium.”
Enrollment is up in part because the significant number of people out of work who are coming back seeking a two-year degree or other training to help them get back in the workplace. If a worker has lost a job because of foreign competition, Trade Adjustment Assistance Act funds can be used to draw unemployment while going to school.
“This is great assistance to adults who need to go back and train for a new job,” Williams said. “It gives them some financial stability while they are going to school.”
ICC recently solved its expansion problems with the purchase of a vacant industrial building that has been renamed the Belden Center. The center, which is in Tupelo about 15 minutes from the Toyota manufacturing site at Blue Springs, has solved not only current space problems but also allows room for future growth and expansions.
And instead of waiting years, the building will be ready for occupancy in 30 days. All that is being accomplished for the discounted price of $7.20 per square foot for the 250,000-square-foot former manufacturing facility that was purchased from Lane Furniture.
Williams said the 50,000-square-foot office and training space portion of the building will be occupied before the fall semester starts, and the college will expand into the other 200,000 square feet in the next few months, adding more classrooms and training labs.
“It is a beautiful building at a very good price,” Williams said. “It is prime property that usually would cost $80 to $100 per square foot. You can see the bargain it is. We can move in and occupy it quickly. We can build out the manufacturing space over the next year to accommodate other aspects of what we do.”
One of the biggest advantages is it gives job seekers a “one-stop shop.” In the past, workers had to go to one location for services at the WIN Job Center to look for jobs, file unemployment and get skill enhancement training. They then had to go to the Advanced Training Center for other services.
“Having both things in one location will strengthen the connection between people needing jobs and employers hiring people,” Williams said.
“Our Manufacturing Solutions Center will be directly geared toward training technicians to work in advanced manufacturing. One out of every three jobs in this part of the country is manufacturing related. We think this will be a great tool to fit into Gov. Barbour’s plan to develop skilled manufacturing jobs. It will help the governor in his goal to recruit those jobs.”
GED classes and testing will also be offered at the site.
David P. Rumbarger, president and CEO of the Community Development Foundation for Tupelo/Lee County, said the expansion is great news for workers and work seekers in the Northeast Mississippi region. Rumbarger said the new asset will be tremendously valuable in helping the area, which has the state’s largest manufacturing concentration, keep its national and international work force competitiveness.
“To have this great asset for the businesses and workers to participate in, and to augment productivity with, is truly the right project for these economic times,” Rumbarger said. “It will be critical, as we have seen, in the retention of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and the attraction of Toyota and related suppliers, as well as supporting the region’s large furniture industry.”
Rumbarger said the investment in the existing work force is well worth the money and time. He said ICC has brought a positive attitude, productivity and recognition to the region.
“We have thrived in the past on the reputation of the Itawamba Community College, and they deserve our support into the future,” he said.
The expansion into the former furniture plant is expected to cost $1.8 million. The facility is on 30 acres in west Tupelo.
David Cole, president of ICC, said the expansion was necessary because the college has seen double-digit growth in enrollment nearly every year for a decade. The college has about 4,000 students in ICC’s credited programs and roughly 32,500 students in its non-credit courses.
