Current master plan approved, awaiting state funding
By JJ Ossola
IV Leader Editor, May 3, 2007
While the board of trustees approved the current master
plan for the college in June 2006, the board is still waiting for state funding
for the initial phase. The college is required to update its master plan every
five years and submit it to the Illinois Community College Board as well as its
yearly Capital Resource Allocation Management Program documents.
Jerry Corcoran, vice president of finance and business
services, outlined the costs and schedule which will occur in four phases. A
combination of state and local funds will be used for the projects in the
facilities master plan. Corcoran said, “As of less than one year ago, we were
planning on the technology and workforce development center costing close to $14
million, as phase one. The community instructional center, estimated at a cost
of $19 million, could end up being phase two [with] renovations to buildings B,
C and D as phase three and estimated at $9.7 million. Phase four would involve
further renovations to buildings C and G at an estimated cost of $13.7 million.”
Cocoran also said that a project involving the repaving of
parking lot E was near approval due to director of facilities Gary Johnson and
architect Paul Basalay’s efforts. The project would cost approximately $1
million, 80 percent of which would be covered by the state capital renewal
funds.
Cocoran said, “Like the repaving of the campus roadway one
year ago, the east campus work will be the kind of project that immediately
provides tangible evidence that our master plan is moving forward.”
IVCC President Larry Huffman said, “However, as we look at
renovation of the east campus parking lot and truck driver training skill path,
along with potential for getting state funding for one of the two buildings
highest on our priority list, we may have cause to either follow or depart
somewhat from the master plan.”
Board chairman David Wilcoxson said that the master plan,
while approved, was still in its infancy and that construction plans were
constrained by lack of state funding and the enrollment rate. “Once we see state
funding and student enrollment improving, we will take an even more critical
look at every facet of the plan before making the commitment to proceed with
construction,” he said. “We want to build for the future. Our present priorities
are to continue to set aside approximately $400,000 per year in order to have
local matching funds available when the state provides construction funds to us.
I believe the board's first priority regarding construction is to alleviate the
parking problem, and the second is to replace the temporary buildings with the
Technology Center Building.”
Master Plan reflects years of study, planning for community needs
The current master plan had started under former Illinois
Valley Community College President Jean Goodnow. In November of 2004, the board
of trustees contracted with Legat Architects to develop the plan that was
approved in 2006. Other colleges planned by Legat include McHenry County College
and the College of Lake County.
Dominick Demonica was one of the lead contacts and worked
with local architect Paul Basalay from Basalay, Cary and Alstadt. During the
meeting Demonica reviewed “building trends throughout the state for libraries,
one-stop centers for student services, student housing, technology centers and
university centers” and set development goals of establishing an advisory task
force, a steering committee, and focus groups to gather information for a
six-month period.
Under interim president Charles Novak, the facilities master
plan started to gain shape as Legat Architects updated the board at a July 2005
board meeting. Dan Repholz and Art Del Muro reported that they “spent the last
six months meeting with 120-150 people learning about the community and campus
and receiving input for the master plan” and that “four workshops were conducted
and information collected.”
In September 2005 the board received an Environmental
Scanning report that identified trends that might affect the college and
identified the college’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Thirty eight staff and 65 community leaders participated in the process and it
was presented by instructor Rose Marie Lynch and Harriet Custer, vice president
for academic affairs.
In December 2005 Demonica presented “a review of the findings
[that] identified the planning objectives which served as the guiding force for
the development of the plan and described the master plan in detail.” Demonica
also “provided rationale for the final decisions that were made by the planning
team.”