MASON CITY – As students return for classes at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), they will not be able to miss the large construction project underway.
New student housing to accommodate 400 students is being constructed directly in front of the original dorms, which are still being used for this school year. The three-story building will replace the current dormitory, which was built in the 1970s. The new student housing is surrounded by beautiful lakes and a recreational trail into town. The grounds also include basketball, sand volleyball, and tennis courts.
“This is a very exciting project for the College and for our students,” said Travis Hergert, NIACC Housing Director. “Our new student housing is more than just a place to live. Students will have a modern, safe, home-away-from-home accommodation that provides study space and new opportunities for student activities.”
The new lake-side living site is a safe, secure environment that includes electronic swipe keys for access, security cameras, and on-site resident staff. “This is a living and learning community,” Hergert said. “We see this as the future of student housing because students will live, grow and thrive here.”
Research has shown that students who live on campus frequently have a higher grade point average. NIACC student housing will have several quiet study areas and a computer lab for student convenience.
This energy-efficient housing complex, which will have recycling options on each floor, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014.
Underground utility work is approximately 90 percent complete. Concrete footings are 80 percent complete for the east structure and 25 percent complete for the west structure. The project will be paid for through revenue bonds. The NIACC Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting August 28 at 3 p.m. to meet necessary deadlines for the funding. They will meet to approve the sale of bonds and authorize the issuance of bonds. The general contractor for the $25 million project is Sande Construction Co. of Humboldt.
