The Alamo Colleges District and Northwest Vista College broke ground Friday morning on the new Northwest Education and Training Center.
The center will be near the intersection of I-10 and Balcones Creek Boulevard, and expand college, technical, and academic options for the Boerne and Northwest San Antonio areas.
The new $23 million multifunctional building, designed by Overland Partners and built by Sunset Construction Inc., is funded through the district's 2017 bond. It's slated to be 42,000-square-feet and support about 5,000 students. It will feature 11 general classrooms, 12 instruction labs, and outdoor study spaces.
Students can earn certificates and an associate of applied science degree in IT support, cybersecurity, and networking. The center will offer adult and continuing education courses, as well as pre-nursing, entry-level health care, and general business courses.
Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores said the communities north of I-10 are at a high-growth time for housing and students, and said it's critical to give students in every area of the city access to higher education.
Northwest Vista College is the closest Alamo Colleges District college to the new site, and the third-largest of the district's colleges in terms of enrollment. Students at the Northwest Education and Training Center will have options to continue their education through additional classes at Northwest Vista or other colleges in the Alamo Colleges district. They can also transfer to universities.
Two other Alamo Colleges higher educational regional centers are locally under construction, Westside Education and Training Center and the Southside Education and Training Center. Students there can earn certificates from the Alamo Colleges and Academic and Workforce Education degrees.
