Construction Underway for Housatonic Community College Expansion

Construction Underway for Housatonic Community College ExpansionBRIDGEPORT, CT – Construction has started for the expansion and renovation to Lafayette Hall at Housatonic Community College (HCC).

The Bridgeport, CT, college moved to its current location in 1997. At that time, the college had approximately 2,700 students enrolled and immediately experienced a significant enrollment increase. Current enrollment is 5,369 students.

To accommodate HCC’s steady growth, the college opened its second building, Beacon Hall, at the southern perimeter of the campus in 2008. The additional 174,500 square feet added classrooms, offices, a large multi-use Events Center, Wellness Center, Students Activities Center and enlarged bookstore.

Continuing its pattern of growth, the current 46,000-square-foot addition will create a new Welcome Center, enabling students to move more easily through the enrollment and registration process. Renovated spaces will also enlarge the college library, academic support center, new science labs and additional offices for student services.

HCC President Paul Broadie says, “The new space will allow us to expand academic programs and provide new ones to meet today’s employment requirements. We are projecting adding programs specifically in STEAM (Science, Engineering, Arts, Math) courses.

The $37.5 million project is expected to create over 600 construction-related jobs.

The college will continue all normal procedures and activities throughout the construction process.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2017, in time for the college’s 50th anniversary.

Featured

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.