LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jefferson Community and Technical College celebrated progress Thursday on its $90 million revitalization project in downtown Louisville.
JCTC hosted a hard-hat tour at the campus just off Broadway between 1st and 2nd streets. The science building will replace the outdated Hartford Hall at South 1st and East Gray streets, which will be torn down and replaced with a math-focused academic building once the science hall is complete. The new building was made possible through a $22 million investment from the Statewide Capital Improvements Plan.
In addition to the 40,000-square-foot center on the north side of Broadway between 1st and 2nd streets, the project will have a green space and a parking garage that will have retail space on the ground level. The parking garage will also have a large screen facing Interstate 65, where JCTC will feature messages for the community as people enter downtown.
"When complete, this 40,000-squarecfoot Center for Science and Discovery will be a gateway to the community to manifest the power of curiosity and determination in every student to come through these doors," JCTC President Ty Handy said Thursday.
The green space will be the second-largest in downtown Louisville to Waterfront Park. It will serve as a gathering space for students and staff members. And because JCTC is a school with commuters, the overall goal of the project is to give students and staff an updated place to gather, study and relax between classes.
The state, JCTC, as well as private donors are all contributing to the $90 million price tag. And city leaders hope the development is a stepping stone to even more development on empty parking lots throughout the city.
"This development not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the area but also fosters economic growth and community engagement, breathing new life into the urban landscape," the Louisville Downtown Partnership said in a statement last year. "Converting and developing underutilized spaces into vibrant, active areas is crucial for our Downtown streetscape."
The new science building is scheduled to open in September. About 6,000 students attend JCTC's downtown campus.
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