Jefferson State broke ground on its new Chilton County-Clanton location. The new facility will be located on sixty acres of land donated by the City of Clanton on Highway 145 near an I-65 off-ramp.

“The citizens in and around Chilton County deserve all the educational opportunities and services Jefferson State can provide,” said Jefferson State Vice President Joe Morris. “The new facility will mix well with Jefferson State’s existing locations and will be an asset in helping the college bring service to everyone in our service area.”

Plans for the new building consist of two parts. The first is a two-story, 32,000 square-foot multipurpose building containing classrooms, computer labs, science/biology labs, a library, and faculty offices. The second is a 54,510 square-foot multipurpose economic development center containing an 1800-seat auditorium, classroom and meeting space, office space and an industrial kitchen to be shared jointly with the college.

Phase one of the construction will be the multipurpose classroom building. Plans call for the classroom building to be ready for the 2008 fall semester.

“The new Jefferson State campus in Clanton will greatly expand educational opportunities in the area,” said Congressman Spencer Bacchus. “Community colleges serve a diverse population, from teenagers taking their first college courses to adult learners upgrading their skills.”

The State Board of Education recently gave unanimous approval for Jefferson State to begin construction on a multi-purpose classroom building in Chilton County.