OTC breaks ground for $5M Waynesville center

Officials with the city of Waynesville and Ozarks Technical Community College held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday to launch the construction of its new center in Waynesville.
 
The city of Waynesville is spearheading the construction of the 28,560-square-foot center, which has an estimated cost of $5 million, according to an OTC news release.
 
The school will pay the bond and respective interest to the city through a 20-year lease agreement. At the end of that period, OTC will have the option to purchase the property for $1,000, plus closing costs, the release said.
 
“Having OTC in our community has been valuable to our citizens and our economy for years,” Waynesville Mayor Cliff Hammock said in the release. “This is an opportunity to bring the college to a larger facility in a more prominent location, and we are confident that it will be a beneficial move, both for OTC and for Waynesville.”
 
OTC will continue holding classes in its current Waynesville site, 320 Ichord Ave. in the Town Field Plaza Center, until construction is complete. The new center is expected to open its doors to students in spring 2013, the release said.
 
“The current OTC Waynesville Center has seen significant growth in the last few years, and we will soon outgrow our existing facility,” OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon said in the release. “Partnering with the city of Waynesville will make it possible for OTC to provide the classes, programs and services needed in the Waynesville and Pulaski County communities.”
 
The new single-story building is situated on a 4.5-acre site visible from Interstate 44 and alongside Waynesville High School and Waynesville Career Center. The facility will have 11 classrooms and computer labs, two science labs, a student commons area, study space and administrative offices.