Gillette College is looking to expand its campus with a new building that would provide more space for students and faculty.
The college is asking the legislature for $350,000 to design a new building that would house more classrooms, labs, and office space. That's something Gillette College Vice President Janell Oberlander said is important as the college continues to grow.
"[The new building] will allow us to have updated classrooms and expand our ability to offer new and different types of labs but also give our faculty updated lab space," Oberlander said.
The new building would even help provide more space for the community. Oberlander said the college is a location for many community events and meetings.
"We really are a resource and a community partner to really expand what we do in Gillette economically. We want to help with diversification, we want to train our workforce, all of those reasons," Oberlander said.
Right now, the total estimate for the proposal is between $10 and 13 million. If approved, Gillette College is proposing a 50/50 split for the funds to build the center. The state would provide half of the funding and the rest would come from local sources, grants and fundraising.
In April, Gillette College announced it received $1 million to upgrade lab equipment for the biology, chemistry and technical education programs. Oberlander said that new equipment would be placed in the new building.
