LSCPA breaks ground on industrial tech building

This article was originally published in The Examiner and Beaumont Business Journal on Nov. 3, 2016.

By Eleanor Skelton
Staff Writer

Lamar State College Port Arthur continued its campus improvements with a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Industrial Technology Center on Oct. 28.

The new building is expected to cover 31,000 square feet and be finished by the fall 2017 semester. The Industrial Technology Center will house several programs, including Process Technology, Instrumentation Technology, Drafting, and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC). Additional industrial technology programs will also be housed in this building.

Lamar State plans to outfit the Industrial Technology Center with a computer simulation lab, HVAC computer lab and classroom, drafting classroom and industrial electronics, in addition to several general-purpose classrooms and instrumentation labs.

The expansion is expected to cost $12.8 million.

LSCPA President Dr. Betty Reynard called the new building “the visible beginning of a new milestone in the journey of Lamar State College Port Arthur,” during her ceremonial address.

Reynard also thanked Dr. Sam Monroe, Dr. Brian McCall, Johnson Architects, other Texas State University System staff, and elected officials who supported funding the project.

LSCPA said in a release that the new building will be “an architectural focal point in the middle of campus, located between Memphis Avenue and New Orleans Avenue,” and that “existing technical program facilities along Proctor Street will be repurposed for other classes and programs.”

“The Industrial Technology Center is another exciting opportunity for Lamar State College Port Arthur to make a positive impact on its students, the area’s industrial workforce and the success of the community as a whole,” Reynard said in an earlier statement. “The new facility will stand out as a jewel in our already beautiful campus. It represents our future, one we are eager to take hold of and pursue for the sake of the success of Port Arthur and Southeast Texas.”

Houston-based company Johnston, LLC is the architect for the project, and the construction company is SpawGlass Construction of Beaumont.

“We are thrilled to break ground on a wonderful new facility that will advance students to the cutting edge of technology and business,” Reynard said. “We are so fortunate to be able to continue our growth by building a facility that will have a transformative effect, not only on the Business and Technology Department but on the entire Lamar State College Port Arthur community.”