September 7, 2018 – Officials broke ground today on the Collin College Technical Campus, a 340,000 square-foot career and technical education facility dedicated to instruction in high-demand, high-wage workforce areas.
Built along State Highway 121 east of Exchange Parkway and scheduled for a fall 2020 opening, the three-story campus will offer programs in automotive service and repair, construction, health care, information technology and manufacturing, as well as general academic classes, student support services, green spaces, cooperative project areas and covered parking. Designed with the input of local professionals in each program’s career field, the campus will prepare students to enter the job market with current training on the equipment they will use in their industry.
“Significant growth is coming to Collin County in the next 10-20 years and beyond,” said Collin College District President Dr. Neil Matkin. “The Collin College Technical Campus is positioned to provide students with a high-quality, low-cost educational option that will prepare them for rewarding careers in the high-demand fields fueling that growth.”
Serving up to 7,100 students when fully occupied, the campus will expand learning opportunities for individuals seeking careers in high-growth industries. Programs at the Technical Campus will include courses to earn industry-recognized credentials and associate of applied science degrees. Collin College is also partnering with area school districts to expand career and technical education offerings, enabling high school students to enroll and earn technical dual credit and industry certifications prior to high school graduation.
“Collin County’s workforce of tomorrow will be able to begin their career training at the Technical Campus,” Collin College Board Chair Dr. J. Robert Collins said. “Whether you are talking about the nurses who will care for our sick, the mechanics who will keep us moving or the construction managers who will put roofs over our heads, we’re excited that many of those individuals will be Collin College graduates.”
Allen ISD funded a portion of the construction with the agreement that the school district can use specified classrooms and labs during the regular school hours to expand dual credit opportunities for its students. Collin College will use the space when Allen High School classes are not in session, providing night and weekend educational opportunities for other students.
The Allen Economic Development Corporation has also partnered with the college and contributed toward the campus’s planning and construction.
The Collin College Technical Campus was designed by Perkins+Will, an architecture firm committed to creating healthy, sustainable building projects. Perkins+Will is consistently ranked among the world’s top design firms.
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. will build the campus using the construction-manager-at-risk method. McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the United States and ranks as the nation’s 15th largest domestic general contractor.
Collin College serves more than 55,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates. The only public college in the county, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and work force development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, with an enrollment of 3,200 , in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Tech and the University of North Texas.
Hi-Res Renderings of the Collin College Technical Campus:
