Friday three events were held throughout the region to focus on projects at three higher education institutions. Garrett College officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Community Education and Performing Arts Center. Frostburg State University officials held a groundbreaking for the new Education and Health Sciences Building. Allegany College of Maryland officials held a site visit and progress update for the Western Maryland Corrections Institute (WCI) Training Center.
According to a joint press release from all three institutions the CEPAC will provide Garrett County – currently the only Maryland community college without a performing arts center – with a centrally located, community-focused facility. The project is a five-entity initiative with Garrett College, the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival, Garrett County Public Schools, the Garrett County Arts Council and Garrett County Government all serving as founding partners.
FSU’s Education and Health Sciences Building, an $80 million project expected to open for fall 2022, will house programs in the College of Education and health professions. It will provide technologically based classrooms and state-of-the-art learning environments for teachers, educators, nurses, health professionals, and the growing fields of exercise and sport science and athletic training.
Funded through the State of Maryland and Allegany County, ACM is constructing a 9,700 square foot Western Correctional Institution Adaptive Community and Workforce Training Facility. Adjacent to the College’s Center for Continuing Education building, the new building will allow for the expansion of training and academies and courses for regional correctional officers and community members.
Construction will be completed by November 2020. The state-of-the-art building will house dedicated space for corrections training (a classroom, mat room, computer room, firearms classroom with bullpen, and two offices), an incident Command Center, and two ACM workforce development classrooms.
More than 2,500 community members will participate in trainings and courses within the new facility. The WCI Adaptive Community and Workforce Training Facility will also serve as a Command Center for North Branch Correctional Institution in the event of an emergency.