"We're very pleased at the success of this campus," said HACC President Edna V. Baehre. "Our explosive growth is evidence of the solid partnerships we've built with the Lancaster community."
The new building will allow the campus - which moved from the Burle Industrial Park to the Old Philadelphia Pike location just two years ago - to continue to grow, Baehre said, and serve up to 5 thousand Lancaster-area students.
The new building will be constructed adjacent to the current facility on the campus at 1641 Old Philadelphia Pike by the current landlord - Pitney Road Partners - headed by Robert Redcay. The building will be leased by the college.
"This expansion had been planned from the beginning," according to Dr. Mike Klunk, dean of the Lancaster Campus. "We just didn't expect to be here breaking ground for another five years or so.
"I think our focus on good solid basic education with a close eye on the career opportunities and labor needs of the county have been a solid hit with the community," Klunk said.
The campus will now have room to continue supporting its very popular health career programs, he said, including the R.N. and L.P.N. nursing curriculums as well as the other 80 programs that can be completed in their entirety at the Lancaster Campus.
The new Phase II building will include dedicated classrooms and laboratories to support the Allied Health programs including the new Radiology Technology Program. Additional biology and microbiology laboratories will be included to enable the campus to expand the RN program and begin offering an LPN program.
What's more, wireless computer classrooms will be added to support the college's program in Advanced Information Technology and web-based instruction. The new building will house nearly 30 general purpose classrooms - all with internet access - to provide the college with the support facilities for more than career and transfer associate degree programs at the Lancaster Campus.
"A unique feature of the expanded campus," said Klunk, "will be a multipurpose room with a staged area that will enable the college to host special community events and ceremonies at the Lancaster Campus."