Project seeks to centralize student support services

ESCANABA — While it’s still a little cold outside, construction season is already underway in Delta County.

Bay College in Escanaba broke ground last week on a big renovation and expansion project. The $4.7 million project came about as a way to make it easier for students to locate support services such as tutoring, mentoring, and financial planning.

“It was always a challenge for our students to find the services that they were looking for,” said Bay College Vice President of Operations Christine Williams. “So the ultimate goal is to have all of those support services in one place so that we can direct our students to one location. They can get the services that they need in a very open, inviting environment.”

Centralizing these services will require the Bay College library to be moved from its current location.

“That space is going to be freed up and renovated. So we have to actually physically move that library and all of those books — all of those stacks — to a temporary location,” Williams added.

The library will stay in the temporary location until December, when it will be moving to a brand new, over 8,500 square foot addition at the center of campus. Another building will also be getting a makeover during this process.

“The very first building on this campus, which is the Math/Science Building, is also being renovated,” said Williams. “Down the center of the building — it’s like that central corridor — we’re going to open that up an provide a diagonal through the building.”

The entire project, which is funded by a recent millage and a local donor, is expected to be complete in January.