dona ana community college looking at bond to pay for a variety of facility construction and upgrade projects

In an effort to improve its media technology program, Dona Ana Community College is hoping to build a new 15,300 square-foot building inside the Arrowhead Research Park in Las Cruces.

That structure will be funded by a $16 million general obligation bond that city voters will decide on in November.

That bond will help the school considerably enhance its Creative Media Technology Program, which trains students in film, computer animation, and digital video production, among other media.

The proposed creative media building is expected to cost $3.9 million to build, and will be one of several facility projects to be funded by the bond.

According to Dona Ana Community College officials, the $16 million bond will also pay for up to $1 million in classroom renovations and upgrades at the school’s five campuses, as well as $2 million in general facility infrastructure improvements.

Also to be funded: a $3 million advanced technology center at the school’s Gadsden Center in Anthony. That facility will measure around 15,800 square feet, and will house two classrooms and two technology labs.

Another $1.4 million will go for safety and security upgrades on all of the school’s campuses. Those upgrades are expected to include new exterior and interior lighting, signage, cameras, and fencing repair and replacement.

With an enrollment of nearly 8,000 students and an emphasis on workforce training, Dona Ana Community College is the fourth-largest higher education institution in the state.

By Garry Boulard

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