Cumberland County Roane State Receives $1.7 Million For Lab

Roane State’s Cumberland County campus could get $1.7 million for a multi-purpose lab.

This funding is included in Governor Bill Lee’s latest budget amendment that was introduced Tuesday. Roane State President Chris Whaley said if it is passed in the General Assembly, work can begin this summer.

“We can really start ramping up the plans for the design phase of it,” Whaley said. “So it will take awhile but really before we know it, hopefully we will see a design and then see ground breaking and get to celebrate that. Then before you know it, students enjoying it.”

Whaley said the campus needs the lab to serve several different uses, and that will be determined in the design phase. Whaley said workforce training and sciences are known needs and flexibility in the space will be important.

“That way we can determine what the needs are and then meet those needs in this learning space flexibly,” Whaley said. “So it may serve one purpose for a little while and then we can change the use out if need be.”

Whaley said the campus has needed this lab space for sometime. However, he said that this is not the type of project they can always generate their own funding for.

“We gratefully depend upon the state to be able to do things like that,” Whaley said. “So it really is big and a huge positive to see this amendment to the Governor’s budget.”