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Board Approves Master Plan

Joliet Junior College will look radically different in as little as three years.

Plans to make the first sweeping physical changes to the college since 1974 will now become a reality since the JJC Board of Trustees unanimously approved the master plan at their April 8, 2008 meeting.

College administrators presented the consensus master plan—which will serve as a blueprint for the future of the physical and environmental spaces of JJC's three campuses and extension centers—to the board in March 2008.

The massive overhaul includes:

• Construction of a new Nursing and Allied Health building on the Main Campus.
• Eight new science labs, the renovation of all existing labs and a dedicated outdoor botany laboratory.
• Expansion of the auto shop.
• New culinary and hospitality facility at the City Center campus.
• New campus center at the front of campus that consolidates all student services and administration in one location.
• New library at the front of campus.
• Total renovation of all classrooms including new technology, furniture, painting and flooring.
• New walking/bike paths that will connect the arboretum, lake, courtyard and natural areas to the I&M Canal tow path.
• Sustainability elements such as LEED certification for new buildings, use of alternative energy sources such as geo-thermal and solar, permeable parking lots and an educational trail.

Financial Strategy

Funding for the $220 million plan will be discussed at the April 28, 2008 board workshop.

"We are recommending that funding be the shared responsibility of the students, taxpayers and the private and not for profit sectors," David Agazzi, vice president of administrative services, said.

Under this financial strategy, new and improved student services that include a centralized campus center would more efficiently serve students; the creation of 8,000 jobs from new programs and construction would benefit the community; and private and not for profit sectors would partner to build amenities for students. This could include a partnership with the local YMCA to produce a 100,000 square foot facility that would comprise a larger fitness center, competition-sized fields and gymnasiums and family programs.

"We have produced a plan that supports the college's strategic plan," JJC President Dr. Gena Proulx said. "It recognizes that the college is now more than a single campus; the master plan will reflect that this is the community's college. It includes opportunities for partnering, and it's designed to be student-centered and flexible."

Expanding Education

Along with a new campus center, a Nursing and Allied Health building is proposed that would help expand nursing, radiologic technology and other health programs, while adding new programs and certificates that could include physical therapy assistant, dental assistant and dental hygiene.

The plan also calls for expanded and improved culinary arts facilities, which would be located in the current City Center Campus. This would consolidate the culinary arts and hospitality programs, while providing 15 new labs and classrooms on the first floor. Additionally, the Renaissance Center would be remodeled and the old hotel space would be demolished and replaced with a new building to the north. For this project, the college will seek to partner with the private sector to maximize mixed-use space and reduce costs.

The Illinois Community College Board requires each college to update their master plan at least every five years. The last master plan was completed in 1999 and updated in 2002. An updated master plan is required for 2007, and besides the physical needs of the college, it also will address issues that were not known in 1999, such as new academic offerings and revised enrollment growth projections.

Some additional components of the master plan are additional parking at Main Campus - approximately 1,610 new spaces— and new greenhouses and a horticulture facility on Houbolt Road with a dedicated outdoor plant laboratory.

The college worked with Illinois design firm Legat Architects on the plan, which began with a space utilization study in October 2006.

JJC, the nation's first public community college, is committed to being a leader in teaching and learning while providing programs and training to address critical job shortages. The college's master plan steering committee has worked diligently since January 2007 to assess JJC's physical learning environment and create a vision for the future of the college.