One goal on the Northern Essex Community College project list is the renovation for the B and E building on the Haverhill campus.
“B building” also the General Services Center and “E building” also the Science Building will bring staff, students, and other occupants a better facility and campus life with new science labs, offices, windows, full sized elevator, and a brand new training center, according to NECC President Lane Glenn.
Glenn recently took the time to speak with the Observer about the project. One end of the E Science building will contain the new “Fab Lab” for career and technical education programs. The Fab Lab will use three stories, Glenn said.
The first floor will have the HVAC program, heating, ventilation and air conditioning but specifically heat pump technology. The second floor will have the base manufacturing program that will have classes that will help people who are going into any manufacturing industry. The third floor will have the clean lab for biotechnology.
It is a labatory for creating things where the occupants have to be in a sterile environment and must wear (PPE), personal protective equiptment such as suits, gloves, safety glasses, head and face masks, shoe covers, etc.
It is possible that the biotechnology program may be included in the science program so it may be taken as a degree. Thus, these new training programs that are currently in-design can be taken as both degree or certificate.
The renovations for B and E building cost about 22 million dollars and was paid by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This project had been planned and developed through the Northern Essex leadership team made up of the President Lane Glenn, Exectutive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer Mike McCarthy, other administrators and the Board of Trustees.
The construction is now expected to be completed in December 2026.
Another plan in action on the project list that is undergoing landscaping, construction and installation is the solar panels that will cover a quarter of the electricity on the Haverhill campus. It will save money and be more environmentally friendly, said McCarthy in a recent interview with the Observer.
Another upcoming plan on the project list is the installtion of three new charging stations at the LA (Amesbury Street) building parking lot of Lawrence campus. Students should make sure to get parking passes.
More plans being investigated and studied would include getting new track and athlethic fields in Haverhill, which would require partnerships and different revenue sources to make it happen, McCarthy said.
As for the recent leaks within the C Spurk building, many have been fixed and the remaining leaks are expected to be fixed by the end of this spring semester, said Glenn.
Housing partnership for Northern Essex is also currently being studied and planned as of now. Among those partners in mind are Merrimack College in North Andover, and North Point Bible College in Bradford.
“One of the advantages of this is if a student lives in a dorm with a meal plan, we can package housing and food as part of a financial aid award,” said Glenn when asked what would be one of the beneficial possibilities in housing as a student of Northern Essex.