LFCC’s new home
Ground was ceremoniously broken last Thursday for Lord Fairfax Community College’s first permanent home in Page County. While the current Luray-Page County Center (LPCC) has been operating out of a former Wrangler jeans plant in Luray since 2006, it is in leased space that recently sold at auction. “While we’re extremely grateful to all of you who helped create the Lord Fairfax Luray-Page County Center, the building simply wasn’t designed for instruction,” LFCC President Kim Blosser told a crowd of state and local officials, donors, LFCC employees and staff during the groundbreaking ceremony. In addition to the issues common to older facilities — leaking roofs, frequent power outages, and a lack of parking — there is no space for trades instruction at the current facility, which LFCC will continue to lease until the new center opens in time for fall 2020 classes. In late 2016, the Jenkins family — Russell and Elta Rae, and their son and daughter-in-law, Rodney and Karen — approached the college with an offer to donate about 6 acres of land situated behind the Wal-mart in Luray. Consultants hired by the college determined about $1.5-$1.7 million could likely be raised for a new LPCC. The project has been met with enthusiasm by the community, and already, nearly $2.65 million has been pledged or donated. The Jenkins family were able to add two more acres to the donation, as well as significant site work and a financial contribution. As a result, construction on the 12,000-square-foot center, which will be called the Russell A. and Rodney A. Jenkins Hall, can begin. In addition to classrooms, it will house a pair of trades labs, student commons areas and an outdoor space with breathtaking mountain views.