FRCC Larimer Breaks Ground on Sunlight Peak

Friday, December 18 2009

Colorado Higher Ed News
December 18th, 2009

FORT COLLINS – Front Range Community College Larimer Campus broke ground for Sunlight Peak and did so in the Longs Peak Student Center in front of about 125 faculty, staff, and community and state dignitaries.
With dirt from the construction site, Scott McKelvey, facilities director, and his staff built and filled a “sandbox” for the “groundbreaking” that used garden trowels  instead of shovels.

Sunlight Peak is the new science/classroom building and will double the number of science labs on campus. With the current facilities running at as much as 102 percent capacity, the need for more labs is obvious.

Jim Butzek, Larimer vice president, recalled that when he arrived at the Larimer Campus in 1999, “we were hoping to have 4,000 students someday.” Ten years later, the campus is approaching 6,000 students, plus 400 in the high school program. “We’ve come a long way in 10 years,” Jim said.

FRCC President Andy Dorsey credited the work of local legislators and Dr. Nancy McCallin, president of the Colorado Community College System who helped secure project funding in a small window of opportunity when interest rates dropped.

McCallin thanked Sen. Bob Bacon and Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas for their work in the Legislature for the project. With fall enrollment up 20 percent and spring enrollment up 52 percent compared to last year, Dr. McCallin said “it’s very important to provide this opportunity for students. It’s an opportunity for affordable education and training.”

Maury Dobbie, a member of the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education, said “this project takes us into the next generation of the workforce.”