North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute broke ground last week on a new health sciences facility at its Caldwell Campus, a project college officials say is aimed at expanding training capacity as North Carolina faces a growing shortage of health care workers.
The project includes a new, roughly 65,000- to 71,000-sq. ft. building — which will become the largest structure on the campus — along with renovations to about 13,000 sq. ft. of existing space. The facility will bring the college’s health sciences programs under one roof and feature advanced laboratories, classrooms and a simulated hospital environment for hands-on training.
Vannoy Construction is serving as construction manager at risk, with architectural firm Clark Nexsen leading design efforts. College administrators and health sciences faculty worked with regional health care providers to shape the building’s layout and instructional spaces.
College officials said the facility is intended to help address projected workforce gaps. Recent research has warned that North Carolina could face a shortage of thousands of nurses over the next decade, including an estimated shortfall of more than 12,000 registered nurses by the early 2030s.
“This will be a transformational addition to our Caldwell Campus and will provide much needed additional classroom and lab space for all of our health sciences programs,” CCC&TI President Mark Poarch said. He said the new building will allow the college to expand enrollment and update training equipment while preparing students for in-demand careers.
Plans for the facility include a terrace overlooking U.S. Highway 321 that can be used for campus and community events. The new structure will connect to the third floor of the existing Faye A. Broyhill Building, which will also receive updates to integrate the two buildings.
Renderings and a virtual tour of the project were presented to the college’s board of trustees last fall. Funding for the facility was secured through a series of state budget allocations over the past several years.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2025, with the build-out projected to take about two years. College officials said a formal groundbreaking ceremony is planned later this year to mark the start of construction.
CCC&TI officials said the expanded space will allow for growth in existing health sciences programs and create room for new offerin