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

  • Rowan University, HPE Partner on New Learning Initiative

    Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., recently announced that it has expanded its partnership with enterprise technology provider HPE to improve research capabilities and hands-on learning opportunities, according to a news release.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • Arlington High School

    Arlington High School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Arlington High School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.