Tri-C to begin work on facilities

Cuyahoga County voters Nov. 7 overwhelming passed a bond issue for Cuyahoga Community College.

According to the unofficial final results from the Cuyahoga County Elections Board, 67.8 percent of voters approved a 25year, 0.5-mill bond for repair, improvement and construction of facilities for college completion and workforce education.

College officials say the levy will raise funding for the school to address decades of wear and tear on buildings, keep pace with rapidly changing technology and create new instructional space for growing programs.

It is expected to generate $227 million and cost Cuyahoga County property owners $17.50 annually per $100,000 home valuation, according to the county Elections Board.

According to Tri-C, projects funded by the levy will include:

• Renovations and equipment updates to labs used across the college by health care, manufacturing, information technology and other in-demand workforce programs

• An addition at Western Campus in Parma dedicated to programs focused on science, technology, engineering and math

• An addition to the Advanced Technology Training Center at Metropolitan Campus in Cleveland to create flexible lab space for engineering and manufacturing

• Construction of a second building for classrooms, student space and faculty at Westshore Campus in Westlake

• Creation of a Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Academy in Euclid with classroom and training space

• Repair and replacement of old roofs, plumbing, electrical, ventilation and security systems across the college

Tri-C President Dr. Alex Johnson previously told the News-Herald the funds raised will be used to help fund projects that are part of Phase II of its facilities master plan. The college will also commit $125 million of funds outside of the proposed levy for the projects.

Johnson said 61 percent of the funding in Phase II will go toward infrastructure improvements and equipment and lab upgrades. The other 39 percent will go toward addressing facility needs.

“It was amazing support of the college by the community at large,” Johnson said of the bond issue’s passage. “It helps us understand our importance to the economic and educational development of Greater Cleveland.”

Work is expected to begin in early 2018.