Bids to open for new building
Mar 28, 2022Bids for construction of the Center for Workforce Development at Rockingham Community College are scheduled to be opened on April 7.
A pre-bid meeting for construction of the 42,398-square-foot structure was held March 16 at the college. At least seven general contractor firms have indicated an interest in the project.
“We are thrilled that the bid process for our new Center for Workforce Development is finally here. This milestone is the culmination of a lot of work with ADW Architects and the Office of State Construction to finalize all schematics and get to this point where we can accept bids and select a contractor for the project,” said RCC President Dr. Mark Kinlaw.
“We hope to be able to have a contractor identified very soon and proceed to a groundbreaking ceremony in early May,” Kinlaw said. “Actual groundbreaking will be exciting to see, as we move closer to seeing this project underway.”
Phillip Steele, senior principal with ADW Architects, said his firm looks forward to the positive impact the center will have with the county.
“It’s taken some time to reach this point from vision to reality, and we truly look forward to the bid opening and breaking ground,” he said.
The facility will serve as the new home for RCC’s advanced manufacturing programs, including Computer-Integrated Machining, Industrial Systems, and Electrical Systems. Other programs will include Customized Training for Industry and the Small Business Center.
Design of the building began in 2019, after RCC’s Board of Trustees identified a site to the right of the college’s main entrance drive. Architects then worked with college faculty and staff through three design stages, each of which produced plans which were closely reviewed and approved by the State Construction Office in Raleigh.
The single-story structure will contain labs and classrooms, a 200-seat corporate meeting space with catering kitchen, a conference room, and faculty offices.
Plans also include a traffic circle near the building to improve the flow of vehicles.
Construction is estimated to take 15 months.
The project is funded with revenue from a quarter-cent sales tax which Rockingham County voters approved in 2018. The revenue is being used to support workforce development initiatives at the college.
