Stanly Community College’s new educational trades facility took a key step towards becoming a reality last week when members of the Local Government Commission, chaired by State Treasurer Dale Folwell, approved a $11.4 million request in private financing from Stanly County to erect the building on the community college’s campus in Albemarle.

SCC needs classroom space for several disciplines, including such fields as training in heavy equipment operations, electronics, building trades, welding and machining, according to a LGC press release. The money will come through an installment purchase contract that allows the county to make partial payments over time. No tax increase is anticipated.

The new facility, which will be about 32,000 square feet and behind the college’s cosmetology program, “is the result of the college working closely together with the commissioners and the county in trying to plan for the college to provide training opportunities for residents in Stanly to earn a skill that will help them acquire a decent wage,” SCC President Dr. John Enamait said.

In addition to helping provide space for current programs, such as welding and heating and air conditioning, the facility will allow SCC to offer new programs including carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring and masonry, Enamait said. He added that the new programs “will hopefully get our enrollment to the pre-pandemic levels.”

Even though initial site work recently started, now that the LGC has approved of the financing, Enamait anticipates a groundbreaking ceremony should take place sometime in the fall, with the hope that the facility can be completed by October 2023.