Hudson County Community College to Celebrate Kick-Off of Second Phase of Construction of New Learning Resources Center & Academic Building
October 19, 2012
Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will host a celebration marking the beginning of the second phase of construction of its new Learning Resources Center & Academic Building on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. The event will begin at 10 a.m. in the reception area of the College’s Administrative Building at 70 Sip Avenue in Jersey City and will continue across the street to the site of the new building at 65-79 Sip Avenue.
HCCC President Dr. Glen Gabert said Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise and other elected officials representing the County and its municipalities are expected to attend, as are members of the College’s Board of Trustees, the HCCC Foundation’s Board of Directors, and HCCC faculty and staff.
Ground was broken for the new Learning Resources Center & Academic Building last November, and since then the site has been excavated and the foundation constructed.
Plans for the six-story, 117,000 square-foot structure — which was designed by NK Architects — call for a library and reading room to be housed on the first two floors. That space will house traditional, printed collections as well as e-books and digital multi-media, computer stations. Wireless Internet service and power stations for laptop computers will be available. There will also be a casual seating and coffee bar that will provide students, faculty and staff with a comfortable place to relax before and after classes.
There will be approximately 10 classrooms in traditional classroom, computer labs and tiered lecture hall designs on each of the three floors above the Learning Resource Center. The sixth floor, which is stepped back, will have a rooftop terrace with sweeping views of the New York Harbor and the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers. The sixth floor will also house a large lobby/exhibition space for progressive art installations and gatherings, and there will be three classrooms adjacent to the gallery that will be flexible in size (with mobile partitions) and will provide a venue for special events and programs.
“The exterior design of this building is in keeping with the early 20th century architecture found in Journal Square,” stated Dr. Gabert. He noted that it is predominantly brick, with granite bases, cornices and two-story arches, as well as metal panels that provide a more contemporary look.
HCCC Board of Trustees Chairman William J. Netchert, Esq. explained that this new facility is part of the College’s $173 million capital expansion program. “For the past few years, we have seen record numbers of students enrolled at Hudson County Community College, and we know this building will better serve our students’ academic needs and provide them with a place where they can get together and enjoy one another as well,” he said.