Waubonsee Community College ’s future can now be seen as the school has unveiled sketches and models of its new science and maintenance buildings, the first two buildings to be built as part of Waubonsee’s 2020 College Master Plan. Both buildings will be located on the north side of the college’s Sugar Grove campus.
The 50,000-square-foot science building will house classrooms and labs to be used by students studying biology, chemistry, earth science and geology — disciplines that are growing in popularity at the college. Waubonsee has seen a 70% enrollment increase in biology classes since 1991; during that same time period, enrollment in earth science classes has grown 320%.
“With the new science building, we will gain two additional biology labs, one earth science lab, and one chemistry lab, as well as additional preparation areas, storage space, classrooms, and offices,” said Dr. Deborah Lovingood, Waubonsee’s vice president of Educational Affairs and Chief Learning Officer.
Among the new classrooms are four 48-seat lecture halls that, once built, will be some of the largest rooms on Waubonsee’s main campus.
But not only will the new science facilities be bigger than what the college currently has, they’ll also be “smarter.” The entire science building will be networked, with each lab and classroom having access to the Internet and to Waubonsee’s computer network.
According to Lovingood, each lab and classroom will have, at minimum, an instructor computing station. Several labs will have computers around the periphery of the room for students to use, and others may have a computer at each student desk.
Not all the excitement and innovation was saved for the interior of the building however. An atrium-like glass structure serves as the two-story building’s front entrance and will be lit up at night. “It will be a beacon for that part of campus,” Lovingood said.
Groundbreaking for the new science building, which is estimated to cost $13 million, is scheduled for this fall.
By that time, the college’s new maintenance and central storage facility may be ready for occupation; ground will be broken on that building this summer.
The 20,000-square-foot maintenance building, with its $2.2 million price tag, will provide areas for maintenance services, including a maintenance shop, grounds, vehicle maintenance, garage facilities and central supply storage. Its move across the Sugar Grove campus to the northern perimeter will increase pedestrian safety, as well as free up space on the south side for additional parking and another new building.
The maintenance and science buildings were designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm of Holabird and Root LLC.
In addition to these two buildings, Phase I of the Waubonsee’s 2020 College Master Plan also includes acquisition of property for the new downtown Aurora campus. The new facility will be built on the Hoyt Property, 32-44 West Galena Boulevard , and adjacent properties, directly west of the Fox River .
The fourth and final project of Phase I is site selection for the Southwest Corridor Extension Center , to be located along the U.S. Route 34 corridor west of Route 47.
Phase II of the plan will include the construction of a new student center and a classroom/corporate training center on the Sugar Grove campus, while Phase III calls for an addition to the existing Henning Academic Computing Center and an expansion of Erickson Hall to create more space for sports, athletic and fitness programs.
It has been 18 months since residents of the college district were asked to provide support to fund the 2020 College Master Plan and the operations and maintenance of all college facilities. In November 2002, voters overwhelmingly approved $67 million in bond funds to create the new spaces in the plan. In April 2003, voters approved a five-cent increase in the college’s operations and maintenance tax levy to operate all of Waubonsee’s buildings. |
