Community College of Allegheny County plans to consolidate its operations on Neville Island and Airport West Center to the Siemens Building in Oakdale.
"It'll position the college and the region to be a world-class provider of work force training," said CCAC President Stewart Sutin. "We'll use it to attract companies who might relocate to our region."
The college is buying the building, the furniture and 32 acres for $4.7 million and expects to spend another $2 million to develop the property. It consists of 150,000 square feet of office space, which can be converted into classrooms, and high bays for the school's automotive, welding and painting classes.
"It doubles our footprint in the west," said Paul Whitehead, chairman of the college's board of trustees.
The building also houses a cafeteria, which will be converted into a student lounge, and a fitness center.
The college plans to pay for the project and some of the early renovations by borrowing $5.5 million by issuing bonds. College officials boasted that the project will give them an additional 80,000 square feet of space without costing more money because they no longer will have to pay rent on the Neville Island and Churchill Road centers.
"I think we got a bargain here," said Bob Hamilton, the college's director of facilities.
The college hopes to begin offering classes at the site no later than August 2006.
