VTC Breaks Ground on Student Center Expansion

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By Sandy Cooch

It poured Friday morning and again on Sunday, but Vermont Technical College enjoyed a bright, crisp fall day for its annual fall open house and gala "Campus Center" groundbreaking Saturday.

A crowd of prospective students and their parents—on campus to learn about VTC programs —joined community members and dignitaries in front of the SHAPE (Student Health and Physical Education) building for the 11 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony. The views were splendid and a moustachioed Green Knight mascot handed out mini-basketballs.

Construction of the $3-million addition, to include a student lounge and dining area and 3500-square-foot fitness center, begins this month and is slated to be completed by early next fall, VTC Pres. Ty Handy told the crowd.

The addition has been long in the planning and two former VTC presidents—Robert Clarke, now chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges system, and Allan Rodgers, who directs VSC’s Workforce & Business Development Network— took turns at the podium to talk about planning efforts.

Special guest, Gov. Jim Douglas, noted that the state was in the midst of a debate on how best to deliver health care. Folks in Montpelier, he said spend most of their time talking about insurance, delivery of services, and the like.

"But it’s clear," Douglas said, "that the most important thing is improving the overall health of the community."

The expansion of the SHAPE facility is one excellent contribution, Douglas indicated, to improving community health.

Earlier this year, SHAPE had a significant staff turnover, and there were subsequent complaints by some SHAPE users about community access issues. Many of Saturday’s speakers emphasized VTC’s continuing commitment, as Clarke put it, to "spectacular" community use of the SHAPE facility.

Chancellor Clarke noted that when the legislature funded construction of SHAPE facilities at all of Vermont’s state colleges in the late 80s and early 90s, it was agreed, system-wide, that the community would be an important component.

Ten folks—including a student who assisted in the planning process, and representatives from Banwell Architects and project contractor H.P. Cummings—were called forward and given shovels for the ceremonial groundbreaking. Afterward, the crowd drifted down to SHAPE for refreshments, and a chance to study drawings

and plans.