By Sky Tucker and Jimmy Mowery
The Scene staff
St. Louis Community College broke ground on its new $48 million Transportation Center on the Forest Park campus.
The 79,000-square-foot building will house automotive technology, diesel technology and truck-driving programs. It will be positioned next to a 36,000-square-foot fleet parking lot and a 193,000-square-foot truck-driving practice lot.
College officials and contractors gathered on Oct. 25 at the construction site, near the intersection of Wise Avenue and South Drive, where they posed for pictures with shovels and a large pile of dirt that had been unloaded on a parking lot.
“Bringing the three programs under one roof allows the college to not only serve its students better, but also provides the city of St. Louis a pipeline of new employees prepared with the latest technologies to work and live in the community,” said Julie Fickas, Forest Park president.
The building is expected to be completed by summer 2025. The construction crew includes FGM Architects, the architectural firm; Tarlton Corp., the construction manager and Russell Co., the contractor.
The project was made possible by Proposition R, which STLCC district voters passed in August 2021. It raised taxes to fund facility and program updates and help St. Louis increase its trained workforce.
Originally, the college announced plans to construct two new buildings, the Transportation Center and a Hospitality and Enrollment Center, but the latter was later canceled due to rising inflation and construction costs, according to officials.
Another speaker at the groundbreaking ceremony this month was Joe Jackson, chair of the automotive technology department. He noted that the three transportation-related departments had outgrown their current spaces and needed an updated facility to keep up with technology, including the electric-vehicle sector.
“The Transportation Center culminates years of effort and research to provide our students the highest level of education in a state-of-the-art facility that mirrors, and in some cases surpasses, the environments they’ll encounter once they enter the workforce,” Jackson said.
“The center (will offer) every student an opportunity to prepare for a rewarding career as a CDL driver or automotive/diesel technician, and we are grateful for everyone involved in making this moment a reality.”
News that a new Hospitality and Enrollment Center wouldn’t be built at Forest Park disappointed many in the hospitality studies department. Officials have promised to renovate the current Hospitality Studies building on campus.
Earlier this semester, Ellen Piazza, chair of culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, assured students that despite their disappointment, faculty and staff would continue to provide them with a high-quality education.
“We really believe that we have one of the best programs in the country,” she said. “Even if we’re not brand new, we will continue to do that.”