Stanly Community College is working in with the county commissioners to develop plans for a proposed trades building for the college.

The proposed building would be on the Albemarle campus and allow for more space for existing and new programs for the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Industry, Technology and Trades (AMITT). It would be approximately 40,000 square feet.

The current buildings that house the college’s AMITT programs are on College Drive and Main Street and consist of buildings built nearly 50 years ago.

“SCC currently has no capacity for growth in the existing buildings,” SCC President Dr. John Enamait said. “So the only real option we had was to take a look at what it would be like if we had a facility.”

Renovations were done in the 1990s, 2014 and 2016 to the buildings, but the AMITT programs have surpassed the building’s capacity.

AMITT programs related to trades and manufacturing that would relocate to the proposed building include Collision Repair & Refinishing, Electrical Lineworker, HVAC, Heavy Equipment Operations, Machining and Welding. Proposed new programs would include Automotive Maintenance, Carpentry, Plumbing, Wiring and Masonry.

Enamait said the college’s Board of Trustees reviewed data during its February retreat and decided that “these kinds of programs are really needed in our community and in our region.”

“Stanly Community College is a critical workforce development partner, and their ability to successfully provide our existing and future workforce with the relevant skills for the available jobs of today and in the future is key to our long-term economic development success,” County Commissioner Chairman Matthew Swain said.

The first phase of the proposed building is the planning and designing phase that could last up to eight months.

The commissioners will address the design-build construction method and potential local firms to help with the project during its meeting Monday.

The budget for the construction of the facility is estimated to not exceed $7.75 million, according to the county.

The new facility would also allow the college to relocate the Basic Law Enforcement Training program from its current facility to the main campus within 18 months.