STLCC Breaks Ground for New Center for Health Sciences and Technology at Wildwood
Thursday, May 25, 2023
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Ground was broken today for the first of six construction projects to be undertaken by St. Louis Community College as part of STLCC Transformed.
College officials were joined by building partners, state officials, community leaders and members of the public in breaking ground for the new Center for Health Sciences and Technology at its Wildwood campus.
“This is an exciting time in our College’s history because we’re transforming our main campuses to support the growth and competitiveness of our region,” said Jeff L. Pittman, Ph.D., chancellor of STLCC. “Once these projects are finished, STLCC will be positioned to serve students now and in the future by offering new programs in state-of-the-art learning spaces.”
The new center is projected to cost $84.5 million. Funds from Proposition R, an eight-cent tax levy approved by voters in 2021, will cover part of the cost. The College also is expected to receive a significant portion of the funding to construct the center from the state of Missouri.
Totaling nearly half a billion dollars, STLCC Transformed aims to modernize facilities and programming to meet the job training and retraining demands of Missouri. Since Prop R’s passage, the College has been working with architects, designers and construction management firms to create a plan for each campus. The College plans to build six new buildings, two each at Florissant Valley and Meramec, and one at Wildwood and Forest Park.
“The Center for Health Sciences and Technology is a welcomed addition to the Wildwood campus, and an important investment to support the students who live in this community,” said Stephen W. White, Ed.D., campus president and chief academic officer. “Wildwood was always meant to be a multi-building campus, and we’re eager to see the plans come to fruition.”
STLCC’s presence in west St. Louis County extends back to 1984 when the College leased space in the former Citicorp building at Clayton and Clarkson roads. In 1989, STLCC moved the West County Education Center to the Barn at Lucerne in Ballwin. In 2000, the College embarked on an ambitious plan to open a new campus in West County.
Classes at STLCC-Wildwood began in fall 2007. Initially, the campus offered a predominantly general transfer education. Over the years, Wildwood has added new programs including nursing, emergency medical technology and American Sign Language, to name a few. In 2017, the campus launched a robust Early College to provide an avenue for juniors and seniors to complete an associate degree while simultaneously completing their high school diploma.
As STLCC-Wildwood looks toward the future, the new Center for Health Sciences and
Technology aims to serve students in new ways. Once construction is complete, the
campus will have more than 210,000 total square feet of learning space to support
students and programs.
Key Facts About Wildwood’s STLCC Transformed Project
Building Highlights
Name: Center for Health Sciences and Technology
Anticipated Opening: 2025
Size: 132,900 square feet
Architect: Christner
Construction Manager: Kwame Building Group
Contractor: BSI
Estimated Cost: $84.5 million
Key Offerings
- Expanded capacity for STLCC's nursing program.
- New healthcare programs in advanced imaging, physicaltherapy, paramedic technology and geospatial technology.
- State-of-the-art STEM labs to prepare students for careers of the future.
- Dedicated areas for students to study, eat and hang out.
- New home for Wildwood's student services.