CABARRUS GROWTH
Cabarrus is one of the fastest-growing counties in North Carolina. As the county’s community college, Rowan-Cabarrus is committed to keeping up with the critical demands and needs of the county’s workforce development. In 2018, the College’s partnerships with Cabarrus County were significant and important for moving this workforce development forward.
Rowan-Cabarrus partnered with Cabarrus County to prepare for the future by expanding two Concord campus locations.
For several years, the College has been pursuing additional property to add to the acreage at South Campus, which is located at exit 55 off I-85. Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus, worked with Cabarrus County manager Mike Downs to negotiate the purchase of three pieces of property, two of which are owned by the College, totaling 25.31 acres, located near the College’s South Campus on Trinity Church Road.
“The College has long recognized the need to keep pace with the growing needs of its communities, especially in Cabarrus County where the population is growing quickly,” said Carl M. Short, chair of the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees. “Rowan-Cabarrus and its leadership continue to impress us with their resourcefulness and ability to creatively solve problems.”
South Campus currently sits on 23 acres and these properties, which are located directly across Trinity Church Road, were identified as desirable land in an evaluation of potential growth of the College’s facilities in Cabarrus County. The Rowan-Cabarrus Board of Trustees reviewed the information and recommended that the board approve the contract to purchase two parcels of land totaling 16.44 acres near South Campus from Crown Court, LLC. Additionally, Cabarrus County purchased a third parcel of property adjacent to the two Crown Court Properties, totaling 8.87 acres with a purchase price of $1,241,800.
“We have wanted to expand our South Campus location for years now, since it has always been only a fraction of the size of our North Campus in Salisbury. This additional acreage will accommodate the growth in Cabarrus County and the College’s future over the next three decades,” said President Spalding.
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s South Campus has also recently undergone several renovations in addition to this expansion project. The South Campus Student Center in Building 3000 was recently renovated in addition to the renovation of the College’s new campus store in Building 1000. Also, a newly installed electric vehicle charging station was recently completed at South Campus, and it is located in the Building 2000 parking lot area.
Additionally, Rowan-Cabarrus, in partnership with Cabarrus County, purchased the former Webster Radiator & AC shop at 650 Concord Parkway, North. This facility, directly adjacent to the Cabarrus Business & Technology Center (CBTC), gives the College both additional space and frontage along Concord Parkway.
The new space, nearly 7,000 square feet, will require renovation to upfit the facility to standards suitable for the new programs. Thanks to support from local voters, the Connect NC Bond awarded to the College in March 2016 provided approximately $486,000 for the renovation of existing space to house a newly developed light-duty diesel program.
The new light-duty diesel program launched in the fall of 2018, thanks to support from the Golden LEAF Foundation in the form of a $403,487 grant.
“As president of R. S. Braswell Company, I appreciate the impact this program can have on our community. The Light Diesel Mechanic program will respond to the growing need of training technicians to work on ‘intelligent equipment.’ This program would offer students the opportunity to obtain skills in electrical, mechanical, and computer technologies. With this training, these graduates will be qualified to meet the current and future employment demands in our area,” said Steve Thigpen, president of R. S. Braswell Company.
In North Carolina, employment for diesel technicians is projected to grow 13.6 percent from 2014 – 2024, which is expected to result in average annual growth of 230 jobs. The median annual wage for diesel service technicians and mechanics was $44,520 in May 2015. These positions will provide a livable, sustainable wage for these students, improving quality of life for them and their families.