NVCC EXPANDING

Naugatuck Valley Community College held a ceremonial groundbreaking Nov. 2, to celebrate the beginning of construction of its $31.4 million Technology Building, the first new building on campus in 17 years.

   In addition to NVCC President Richard L Sanders,speakers included James T. Fleming, commissioner of the state Department of Public Works; state senators Louis C. DeLuca and Joan V. Hartley; Waterbury Mayor Michael J. Jarjura; Louise S. Berry, chairman of the Board of Trustees for the state community college system; and Marc S. Herzog, chancellor of the state community college system.

   The three-story, 100,000-square-foot Technology Building will be located on the eastern half of NVCC’s 110-acre campus next to Ekstrom Hall. Work began on the site earlier this year with the demolition of seven temporary modular structures called the “Terrace” buildings, which were erected as a stopgap measure in 1972 in anticipation of a building similar to the Technology Building being approved for construction at that time. However, budget concerns and other issues forced NVCC to continue using the temporary buildings for 34 years.

  The new Technology Building will allow NVCC to consolidate all of its technology-focused curriculums on campus and under one roof. It will be home to several programs, including automotive technology, engineering technology, hospitality management and horticulture. Due to space constraints on campus, the college has been leasing off-campus space on Thomaston Avenue in Waterbury to house its automotive technology program.

  When it is completed in February 2008, the new Technology Building will contain 10 computer classrooms, four computer-aided design laboratories, a number of engineering technology laboratories, 10 general classrooms, an automotive technology center, kitchen and dining facilities for NVCC’s hospitality management program, and a freestanding greenhouse laboratory for its horticulture program.

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