PALO ALTO COLLEGE: Palo Alto College breaks ground on bond-funded multipurpose building

By Press release submission

Nov 14, 2020

Palo Alto College issued the following announcement.

Alamo Colleges District-Palo Alto College hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for its new bond-funded multipurpose building, which will be the largest building on campus. With a target completion of Fall 2022, the facility will serve as the primary entry point to the College, the new home for a Student Engagement & Welcome Center, and a hub for various student services and academic programs.

“Since Palo Alto College was established 35 years ago, it has been a beacon of hope for the south side, and it continues to be in 2020. Our students affirmed that commitment when over 11,000 of them enrolled this fall semester, which is a record enrollment for Palo Alto College,” said Dr. Robert Garza, president of Palo Alto College.

The new building will bear the name of Texas’ largest river – the “Rio Grande” – like many of the College’s original structures, named for regional rivers. The joint purpose center will promote collaborative learning and interactive instruction with its specialized program spaces. These will support training programs in high-wage, high-demand occupations in the region, including advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, logistics, dental hygiene, science labs, criminal justice, and more.

As the San Antonio metropolitan area is projected to grow by 1 million residents by 2035, this new building will prepare the College to meet the educational needs of the community. The construction will be funded through a 2017 voter-approved bond for the Alamo Colleges District. Of the $450 million approved for the District, $66 million was allocated to capital improvement projects at Palo Alto College to include the renovation of existing facilities and the addition of new facilities.

Palo Alto College, part of the Alamo Colleges District, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, is a Rising Star winner of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and is celebrating its 35-year anniversary. With over 10,000 students, Palo Alto College is accredited to offer associate degrees and short-term certificates. The College is located on the south side of San Antonio at 1400 W. Villaret Blvd. at I-410 and Texas Hwy 16 and online at alamo.edu/pac.