By Holly Walker
The editors of Virginia Living Magazine named John Tyler Community College to its Top High Schools and Colleges 2014 list. The list recognizes two- and four-year colleges and universities as well as public and private high schools that are innovation leaders in Virginia. John Tyler was named to the list’s Capital Improvements category for its expansion of the Midlothian Campus. The Phase III project includes a nearly 70,000 square foot, three-story building that will house an engineering lab, an outdoor classroom and learning lab, a black box teaching theatre, a music room, a recording studio, computer labs, classrooms, faculty offices, student services offices, fitness and dance classrooms and a small café. The project also includes the construction of a four-story, 351-space parking deck.
In May 2014, during a groundbreaking ceremony, John Tyler Community College President Edward “Ted” Raspiller said that Phase III will support the community in a number of ways. It will provide specialized space for engineering classes, allowing the College to continue expanding its offerings in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and healthcare (STEM-H). It also will house classrooms and learning areas for performing arts and for professional development, something Raspiller hopes the community will also be able to utilize.
Construction on Midlothian Phase III is now underway, and the project is slated to be completed by Fall 2015.