Groundbreaking ceremony today for FVCC expansion project

Construction on the new library and learning commons at Flathead Valley Community College is scheduled to begin Tuesday following a groundbreaking ceremony today.

Made possible by a $2.5 million donation by the Broussard family and other contributions from community donors, the 12,000-square-foot commons will be added on to the existing Rebecca Chaney Broussard Center for Nursing and Health Science.

Scheduled to finish by early spring of 2019, construction of the addition, according to FVCC President Jane Karas, will not affect classes held in the Broussard Center.

Upon completion, the $3 million facility will include a library with leading-edge technologies, collaborative spaces for small group projects, a study area for the social learner, quiet study areas, multi-media services, a maker lab and a virtual reality lab available for both student and community use.

The library and learning commons represents Phase I of the FVCC ONE Campaign, a privately funded philanthropic effort to better serve students and the community.

Phase II of the ONE Campaign involves construction of a 50,000-square-foot College Center, which will include a large performance and lecture hall, a multi-purpose activity center with a track, an outdoor amphitheater, and a reception/exhibition hall.

So far, more than $9 million has been raised for the construction of the College Center, with an additional $6 million needed to complete the project.

For more information about the ONE Campaign or to make a donation, contact FVCC Foundation Executive Director Colleen Unterreiner at 756-3914 or colleenu@fvcc.edu.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.