Located on U.S. Highway 431 near Marshall Technical School, the facility will be one of five new centers being built in the state by the Alabama Community College System.
(Taylor Beck/Snead State Community College photo)
A $30 million, 50,000 sq.-ft. facility that will prepare students for high wage/high demand career fields is taking shape in Boaz, Ala.
Snead State Community College broke ground on its Workforce Skills Training Center in January 2023.
"There is a growing need to provide workforce training in the fields of welding, machine tool technology, heating ventilation air conditioning and refrigeration and industrial systems technology in the northeast region of Alabama," said Greg Randall, executive project director of workforce enhancement at Snead State. "To help support the increased demand for skilled professionals in the area, we secured funding to build a modern facility that will house the training programs. These programs will not only serve Marshall County but also the surrounding counties."
The project was primarily driven by stakeholders in local business and industry, K-12 educational partners, the Marshall County Economic Development Council and the Alabama Community College System.
"The need for this workforce skills center was so vital that the Marshall County K-12 School System donated the property on which the new facility is currently being built," Randall said. "Dr. Cindy Wigley, the superintendent of the Marshall County School System, helped bring the facility to fruition through property donation. The reaction to the new facility has been very positive, as this has been a goal of the local stakeholders for about 10 years."
Not only will training be provided for high school students who participate in dual enrollment, but also traditional students and workers seeking to enhance their current skills for upward mobility at their place of employment.
Located on U.S. Highway 431 near Marshall Technical School, the facility will be one of five new centers being built in the state by the Alabama Community College System. Randall said the design process took almost one year.
"Snead State Community College hosted meetings with the architects on campus throughout that year to determine which programs would be housed at the new center, what the size of the laboratories would be, how the administrative areas and conference center would look and how the exterior and interior façade and fixtures will be presented."
Construction is currently slated for completion by June 2024.
"The contract states 480 days for completion. Rain has been a major factor, because there were approximately 375 yards of dirt that had to be removed for structural soundness. As of this time, the construction completion date is expected to be met."
The contractor is P&C Construction, based in Chattanooga, Tenn. For crews, the main challenge so far has been the weather.
"Because of the amount of dirt that had to be replaced, continuous rain in the early phase of this construction project delayed transfer and packing of the dirt," said Randall. "Secondly, supply chain issues have caused a few delays. There is some equipment, such as electrical panels and chillers, that have long lead times."
Currently, all footings have been poured and foundation block is currently being laid, along with required rebar. Electrical stub outs are at 70 percent completion and work has begun on a path for sanitary sewer lines. Plumbing for eyewash stations also is being installed. The concrete pad will be poured in a matter of days.
"The property donated had a building that housed a high school cosmetology training program and a commercial driver license testing center," Randall said. "Both programs have been relocated and the building has been demolished and cleared."
Regarding site preparation and excavation, work includes not only removing dirt that isn't structurally sound, but also rerouting sanitary sewer lines.
"The site has a city sewer line across the middle of the property. It was decided that a cost advantage would be to not use the existing line on the property and connect to an existing line behind the property. This solution prevented the requirement of a sewage grinder pump to be installed."
Approximately 500 cu. yds. of dirt is expected to be moved during construction. Due to continued site prep, the main equipment on site is relegated to a combination of skid steers, backhoes, a dozer and boom lifts. The main materials used on this project to date are block, concrete, structural steel and rebar. As the facility nears completion, it will consist of a combination of brick façade and metal siding.
Speaking at the official ceremony to mark the start of construction, Snead State President Joe Whitmore told the crowd the project will be worth the wait.
"When you look around here, you can see just how important and just how critical our groundbreaking today is to our community and our state. This is something we've been planning for about three years. It will provide very much needed training and education, and prosperity to our community."
Gov. Kay Ivey said, "Our economy and workforce needs are evolving with every day that passes by. Projects like this one that we are celebrating today are part of the reason why we have been so successful in bringing in 73,000 new jobs and more than $40 billion in investments."
"This project has been exciting to watch," said Randall. "The amount of skill displayed by the workers and architects has been astounding. This will be the first facility of its kind in North Alabama that will provide the community with not only valuable training, but also a common area to meet and discuss new ideas on the future of the workforce in Alabama." CEG
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