Community College Opens Automotive Technology Center

Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis in Indiana has officially celebrated the grand opening of the Ivy Tech Automotive Technology Center. The $14-million, 59,000-square-foot facility opened as part of a series of developments in the city’s International Marketplace District. The facility was designed and built by GMB Architecture + Engineering in partnership with McGee Designhouse and JPS Consulting Engineers.

According to a press release, the center will certify and train students for high-paying, available jobs in the automotive sector. The classes are taught by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Master certified instructors with more than 100 practice vehicles available to provide experience with company-specific diagnostics and information. The new facility features classrooms, training labs, student collaboration areas with a capacity of 600, faculty offices, and corporate labs. The center is scheduled to open to students in time for the fall 2021 semester.

Ivy League Automotive Technology Center
Photo credit: GMB Architecture + Engineering

“This new facility will deliver first-class educational opportunities that are not only affordable but also provide outstanding job placement rates for Ivy Tech students, bringing a vital skilled workforce to Indiana communities,” said Peter Giles, Vice President of Business Development for Cinnaire. “It is our goal at Cinnaire to create economic opportunity in communities that the mainstream market doesn’t serve, and we are proud to be an investor in this project.”

The new facility was first announced in 2016 after Ivy Tech received $5 million as part of a capital campaign. It also received part of a $1 million gift from the Indianapolis Auto Trade Association and about $1 million worth of land donated by local businessman Sid Eskenazi.

Ivy Tech’s Automotive Technology program has an enrollment of about 300 students and boasts a 100% job placement rate. The program also offers its students paid, cooperative education opportunities with local businesses and industries.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.