New Merced College Ag-IT Complex reaches milestone, on track for August completion
Construction of Merced College’s first new building since 2009 reached a milestone Thursday, marking a key step in modernizing the campus to better prepare today’s workforce.
The Raj Kahlon Agriculture and Industrial Technology Complex is now about 50% complete, a campus news release said.
Construction of the new building was made possible via a $5 million donation — the largest donation in the campus’s history — by local farmer Raj Kahlon.
Community members and dignitaries congregated at Merced College Thursday for a “topping-off” ceremony in recognition of placing the project’s tallest beam. The 29,000-square-foot building is expected to be mostly finished by August, the release said.
“Watching this building take shape over the past several months has been a major bright spot for us on the Merced College campus,” President Chris Vitelli said in the release.
“We could not be more grateful for the support of our community, and we are so excited to be able to offer this kind of top-notch facility and welcoming environment to our agricultural and industrial technology students.”
Once completed, the animal science, crop science, plant science and horticulture programs will relocate from various locations across campus to the Ag-IT complex.
The project will also upgrade training equipment for industrial technology programs in HVAC, industrial maintenance, electronics and computer networking, the release said. The new space will also host meetings, seminars, alumni events, fundraisers and conferences.
Merced College officials say the new building will attract local students to Merced College’s programs — and the upgrades will ensure those students are well trained and prepared for a wide range of careers to help boost the local agricultural workforce, the release said.
