News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Officials with Crossville’s Tennessee College of Applied Technology expect to break ground on a new building this year.
School President Cliff Wightman says the new building will house programs for Industrial Maintenance and Building Construction Technology.
“Those programs that are in that building are some of our greatest need programs,” Wightman says. “In other words, we’re supplying the industry [with] help. Those are two of the biggest ones, which comprise different programs in and of themselves. So they’re one of the hottest ones in the area.”
Wightman said he’s excited for developers to begin construction as the preliminary work wraps up and the school prepares for the groundbreaking.
“All of the environmental studies are done, we’re ready to go,” Wightman says. “We have a construction meeting in about two weeks, so we’re looking to start breaking ground – we’re hoping – about the first of February. It’s a relatively easy construction, so potential completion is maybe December. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
Wightman says the new 12,000 sq. ft. building and expanded programs will be beneficial to the continued development of the area.
“It’s absolutely important because with most site developers, that’s the first thing they look for is an available workforce,” Wightman says. “That’s what we try to provide as well as the other TCATs in the area and the community colleges. Without us, they don’t succeed and they’re not going to stay where they don’t succeed. So that’s the goal of it.”
The new building will be located across the street from the main campus on Miller Avenue. The building will also add approximately 60 new parking spaces to the TCAT campus.
