The Communique

Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: News

As enrollment grows, it seems the capacity for Kirkwood also grows to accommodate students' needs. Before last fall the prospect of having additional funding to construct new facilities seemed out of reach. Upon passage of last year's bond issue, however, that hurdle has been cleared.

One of the items long identified as being near the top of the facilities agenda has been the need for a new continuing education building. The East Campus buildings that currently house most of the continuing education classes are among the oldest on campus.

Kirkwood is now in the process of making final arrangements with OPN Architects, the contractor for the project, to construct a 30,000 square foot building to support the needs of the continuing education program. The new facility will be set on the southern portion of Kirkwood's main campus near the truck driving range. Original plans called for the facility to be placed more centrally within the campus but "parking is always an issue around here so we thought it would be better if [the building] was out there," said Tom Kaldenberg, Kirkwood's executive director of facilities.

Construction of the project, expected to cost somewhere between $5 and $7 million, will likely begin near the end of summer and will tentatively be completed in the following 14 months. In that time, crews will work to build the conference center that will have the capacity to hold 300 people and also be able to divide itself up into six separate classrooms. The room will be used to cater to large events and Kirkwood will likely allow it to be rented out or used to outside groups.

The new facility will also open up more space for students who frequently use Iowa Hall.

"Right now continuing ed gets first dibs on the third floor of Iowa Hall," said Todd Prusha, Kirkwood's director of operations of continuing education.

Prusha also said the new building will make that space available for credit classes.

Plans are underway for Kirkwood to build a hotel for students interested in the lodging management program. Students will be able to work in the hotel for credit in order to pick up a degree in the discipline.

Kirkwood is also in the process of designing a new building that will likely be used for credit courses.

"The plan is to have a 60,000 square feet building and we'll probably start construction on it in the spring of 2007," Kaldenberg said, adding the building will cost somewhere around the level of $10 million but that the number is a "ballpark estimate."

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