Northwest College has targeted September to go out for construction bids for a new student center on campus.

The aging DeWitt Student Center, named for former Dean of Students John DeWitt, is still in use. But the structure has acknowledged health and safety concerns. Built in 1966, its sunken design and local water table have caused the building to deteriorate over the years.

An allied project to build a facility that can be used as a temporary dining hall while a new student center is under construction is also ready to break ground.

With a commitment from the Legislature to pay half the estimated construction costs of $20.6 million, the NWC Board of Trustees has agreed the time is right to call for student center bids.

Clearly, the mood is upbeat as NWC sees the student center project coming together after years of legislative lobbying, fundraising activities and facility planning and design.

“We’re going to build a building,” said NWC President Lisa Watson. “It’s exciting. I see it as a gateway building for our students and our community.”

The college share of the 50-50 co-pay with the state is $10.3 million. Watson admits the full amount is not in hand. The plan to raise the match relies on private fundraising led by the NWC Foundation, college reserves and possibly a loan.

“We’re keeping budgets very tight,” Watson said. “Every dollar we can save for this project, we’re going to do it.”

“We’ll see what our bids are, and we’ll go off the bids,” she added, acknowledging that the college is prepared to make changes to fit with available dollars through a process called value engineering.

“I’ll give you a good example already (of value engineering) in the ‘furniture fix,’” she said.

As Northwest was working with design and furnishing elements of the building, “furniture prices skyrocketed,” Watson noted. “In order to make things work, we’re going to have to use some of our existing furniture. Everything in that building may not be brand new, but it will be functional, and we’ll replace it over time.”

The construction of an open shell building near the NWC soccer fields to serve as temporary dining space while the new student center is being built has a price tag of $1.48 million. The State of Wyoming will also pay for half of that facility.

The NWC Foundation has approved a $500,000 grant to pay for the bulk of the college’s cost share for the temporary dining facility.

NWC application for permit to build temporary dining facility goes to commissioners

Construction of a proposed dining facility on land adjacent to the Northwest College soccer fields will be reviewed by the Park County commissioners Aug. 23 in an application for a Special Use Permit for the project.

The college wants to build a 3,360-foot facility which will be used as a temporary dining facility during construction of a planned new Student Center on campus. The facility will later be used for locker rooms and offices for coaches in the NWC soccer program.

The roughly two acre site for the project is located in the county and was acquired by NWC from the NWC Foundation for a dollar.  The public hearing is scheduled for 9:50 a.m. at the courthouse in Cody on Aug. 23.