Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Wisconsin Tech School Breaks Ground on Public Safety Education Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/20/22

Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, Wis., held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for its new Public Safety Education Center, according to local news. The facility is the final piece of the ongoing Public Safety + Transportation Complex project, the result of a $32-million referendum that local voters passed in November 2020. It will play home to classrooms for the college’s emergency services, police, and fire programs and feature amenities like a track, gym, and fitness center, according to a news release.

“As you might imagine, this building will become a cornerstone of our growing campus and reflects a changing college. We are excited about the future and how this facility will position the college to be a better resource for our community,” said Blackhawk President Dr. Tracy Pierner. “But facilities alone don’t make for great programs—it takes great instructors, students, staff, committed industry partners, and community members who believe in what we do.”

Local news reports that the Public Safety + Transportation Complex at large is the result of findings from the college’s Research and Planning Committee that the existing public safety and transportation facilities were unsafe and inadequate. The new Public Safety Education Center will stand “front and center as visitors approach the college.”

“It’s wonderful,” said Pierner. “It’s the start of a project, but it’s the end of a long culminating overall project, and so we’ve got a lot of great facilities here that are really great. But this is really the capstone, and what makes this so exciting is it will become the cornerstone of a growing campus here in Janesville.”

Pierner said that the facility will also be open for use by community partners, including local law enforcement. The Madison Police Department has previously used the track for vehicle training, and the center’s indoor firing range will help law enforcement partners train and update certifications and skills.

The college is partnering with general contractor JP Cullen and architecture firm Angus-Young. JP Cullen representatives said the project is scheduled for completion in August 2024.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • California District Debuts New High-School CTE Center

    The West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) in Sebastopol, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new CTE Center at Analy High School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) for the facility’s design and GCCI for its construction, and funding came from local Measure A bond funds.

  • Western Kentucky University Breaks Ground on First Phase of $350M Student Housing Project

    Western Kentucky University (WKU) in Bowling Green, Ky., recently broke ground on the first phase of a $350-million student housing initiative, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Gilbane Development through a public-private partnership (P3) to replace aging residence halls and modernize on-campus living accommodations.

  • UPenn Announces Completion of New Veterinary Education Facility

    The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently finished construction on an 11,800-square-foot veterinary education building, according to a news release. The Gail P. Riepe Center for Advanced Veterinary Education is the first dedicated classroom facility at the New Bolton Center, a large-animal hospital and campus about 35 miles west of the campus proper.

  • DLR Group Announces New Mid-Atlantic Higher Education Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has promoted Principal Shawn Gaither, AIA, LEED AP, to the role of higher education leader in the Mid-Atlantic, according to a news release. Gaither has served with the firm for more than 20 years, most recently as the national higher education business development leader.