On Friday, Nov. 6, Pellissippi State Community College marks another milestone in construction of the Blount County Campus, set to begin offering classes fall semester 2010.
College officials, donors and other guests plan to gather at 11 a.m. at the Friendsville site for a “Raise the Roof” celebration of the progress achieved on the two-story, 70,000-square-foot building. The event is open to the public.
“The shell structure of the building is basically completed, with offices and classrooms framed in,” said David Walton, Pellissippi State’s director of Facilities, Safety and Security. “Once the roof is done, the interior finishes will soon follow. The project is still on schedule for a May 2010 completion.”
Blount County resident Peggy McCord, a Pellissippi State Foundation board member and co-chair of the college’s Connecting Communities, Changing Lives Major Gifts Campaign, encourages community members to attend the celebration and take a hard-hat tour.
“Wear your comfortable shoes,” McCord said. “We are proud to see this new campus reaching completion. It will support the education of Blount County residents for years to come. We still need your financial support!”
The college broke ground on the $22 million state-of-the-art campus in May 2008. Funding for the new site comes from the state, sale of the former campus property in Alcoa and private donations generated through Connecting Communities, Changing Lives.
The campaign, conducted by the Pellissippi State Foundation, has earmarked the Blount County site as one of its top priorities. The fundraising goal is a minimum of $2 million. Campaign gifts and pledges to date are $1,855,240.
The college began offering classes in Blount County in 1985. For now, Pellissippi State continues to maintain classrooms at the Blount County Center, which is housed in the former Bungalow Elementary School on Middlesettlements Road in Alcoa. More than 1,800 Blount County residents are enrolled at Pellissippi State.
The new Blount County site is located at 2731 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway (U.S. Highway 321) in the Friendsville community.
To learn more about the event or how to donate, contact the Pellissippi State Foundation at (865) 694-6528 or visit www.pstcc.edu/foundation.