ANDERSON — Ivy Tech Community College has a running start toward raising the $4 million in local matching funds necessary to complete the new Anderson campus.
Ivy Tech received $20 million for construction last year, or 80 percent of the total building costs. The $4 million represents Anderson's 20 percent match.
When the college broke ground in early May, officials announced that an anonymous donor had contributed $1 million toward the effort. Since then, an additional $786,046 has been added to the fund, said James Willey, Anderson campus president.
That money will go "directly into tangible assets," such as construction costs, furniture and other expenditures necessary to open the doors, Willey said
Thirty members of a local campaign committee, all of them volunteers, have split into committees and are working to secure major gifts from corporate givers and targeting small business donations and individual contributions. Members of the committee "will be telling our story" about educational opportunities at Ivy Tech Anderson in hopes of persuading people to donate.
James Ault, who co-chairs that committee, said "obviously the message is that Ivy Tech is important to the city, county and state," especially those students seeking to upgrade their job skills.
"Seventy-three percent of the students are working adults," Ault said. "We are filling a real need getting those young adults prepared for the work force."
Ault said members of the committee will primarily be making presentations and one-on-one contacts to interested individuals and corporate representatives.
And they will be casting a wide net beyond Madison County's borders. That's especially important, Ault said, because Ivy Tech draws students from Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, and Henry counties.
"This is the largest community college system in the country, and it's just great what they've done," Ault said.
Although a wet summer posed some construction challenges, Willey said, "It's progressing nicely ... We're on time and under budget right now."
In the next several weeks weeks, the 60th Street building will be entirely enclosed, which will allow construction crews to continue working through the winter to meet a completion deadline in time for fall classes in August, said Willey.
The new 85,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Interstate 69 will become home to four academic schools — business technology, public and social services, liberal arts and science. The new classrooms, laboratory and offices will help ease overcrowding at the college's three other campuses, on 53rd Street, 38th Street and the Anderson North Conference Center on Indiana 9.
In addition to purchasing the land for the new campus, the Anderson Redevelopment Commission approved about $1.8 million on improvements to 60th Street, including widening the street from 20 to 24 feet.