By Holly Walker
Next up: Exciting changes are on the way for Tyler’s Chester Campus! Starting this summer, two campus buildings, the Nicholas Center and Bird Hall, will temporarily close in order to undergo extensive renovations. These renovations, which are expected to take about 14 months to complete, will allow Tyler to enhance and expand programs that prepare students for in-demand jobs.
Bird Hall, one of the college’s original buildings, first opened its doors in 1967. When it reopens to students in Fall 2019, the inside of Bird Hall will feature a new layout. A portion of the building will be dedicated to Health Sciences and will house the college’s Nursing and EMS/Paramedic programs, allowing faculty and students to share state-of-the-art equipment and participate in collaborative experiences that will mirror real-world interactions. The renovated Bird Hall will also feature new science labs.
The Nicholas Center renovation includes an expansion that will nearly double the building’s current size. The 25,503 square foot addition will be a new workforce, which will be operated by the Community College Workforce Alliance, the workforce development partnership between John Tyler Community College and Reynolds Community College. In addition to classroom spaces, the new workforce center, which will be called the William H. Talley, III Center for Workforce Development, will feature a large, flexible lab that can be configured to meet the needs of a wide variety of training programs. The renovated Nicholas Center also will include a large conference room that can be used for workforce training and other activities; new collaborative spaces for Tyler students and the Office of Student Activities; a larger bookstore with a café; and additional general classroom and office space.
To prepare for this project, college offices and services in Bird Hall and the Nicholas Center are being relocated to other spaces around the Chester Campus. The online employee directory and department web pages will be updated once moves are completed.
Keep an eye on your e-mail, on the news section of the web site, and on Tyler’s social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn) for updates about office moves; dates when Bird and Nicholas will close to the public; and ongoing information about this construction project.