In the spirit of growing to meet its district residents’ needs, Waubonsee Community College plans to unveil its Plano Campus billboard to mark the location of its future campus site on Route 34.
The Waubonsee Community College Plano Campus property is located one mile west of Eldamain road on Route 34, on the north side of the road. The nine-acre site is adjacent to the Lakewood Springs development.
The new campus will be approximately 30,000 square-feet and will offer a range of programs covering transfer programs for those pursuing bachelor’s degrees, business and industry training programs, basic education and programs across a wide array of interest areas for those seeking personal enrichment and growth.
In December 2004, Mayor Bill Roberts of Plano, Mr. Kurt Wandrey, Senior Vice President of Forward Planning with Lakewood Homes, and Mr. Jim Truesdell, Director of Planning & Zoning, also with Lakewood, met with WCC’s Board of Trustees. Board chair, Mr. Richard “Shorty” Dickson, presided over the meeting, which yielded an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Plano and a transfer of property from Lakewood Homes to Waubonsee Community College.
Mr. Dickson said, “This partnership allows us to provide greater access to college education in anticipation of the growth patterns in the district. It will make our programs available to people in the western and southern parts of the district which, because of travel concerns, may have made travel to one of our campuses a problem.”
“ Plano is growing by leaps and bounds,” noted Mayor Roberts of Plano, “and putting the new campus in our highest growth area right next to the Lakewood Springs housing development makes good sense for Lakewood, Plano and Waubonsee Community College.”
Dr. Christine Sobek, WCC president, noted, “We are grateful for the generosity of Lakewood Homes. It demonstrates their commitment to accessible higher education in our district and places ninety percent of the citizens in our district within about a 15-minute drive of one of our campuses."
“Lakewood Homes’ philosophy has always been about more than just building homes. Actively supporting the development of the communities in which we build and providing a high standard quality of life has been a hallmark of our organization. We are proud to have provided this site to the college as a statement of our commitment to higher education in the Fox Valley,” said Harriet Ford, director of corporate communication for Lakewood Homes.
There has been explosive growth along the Route 34 corridor and the campus is being designed to meet the needs of both existing and future residents of the area.
The campus is part of Waubonsee’s 2020 College Master Plan, which district residents overwhelmingly supported through their approval of two referenda in 2002 and 2003. Phase I of the plan is underway with construction of a new Campus Operations facility and Science Building on the Sugar Grove Campus. Plans for Phase II, which include a Student Center and Academic and Professional Center, are in progress and construction will begin soon.
Dr. Sobek said, “Education is the key to an effective and highly qualified workforce. Lakewood Homes, as one of the premier builders in Chicagoland, has helped make education, training, and enrichment for all of our families a reality.” |
