Topeka's Washburn Tech East Campus will grow with a second-floor addition. Here's how.
The second floor of the Washburn Tech East Campus is about to increase in space.
JuliAnn Mazachek, president of Washburn University, said leaders plan to spend university funds to build out the second floor of the Washburn Tech East building, 2014 S.E. Washington.
"Last year during the legislative session, our technical college — our technical school at Washburn University — received an allocation of $1.5 million for capital investment funds at Washburn Tech," Mazachek said. "And after a review of our programs and areas that we needed to grow, and areas where we thought was extreme need, we are asking today to invest those monies at Washburn Tech East."
Mazachek and Scott Smathers, dean of Washburn Tech, on Wednesday presented the plan to the Joint Economic Development Organization, which is made up of Shawnee County commissioners and Topeka City Council members.
What will the buildout at Washburn Tech East Campus include?
"Initially, the buildout will provide us with additional capacity for our high school equivalency (GED) degree training and English Language Acquisition training as well as provide meeting space at the facility," Smathers told The Capital-Journal. "Looking to the future, this development also provides additional classroom capacity should resources become available to develop lab space and acquire the necessary equipment for additional CTE programs."
The second-floor buildout would include classrooms, a meeting room and student area.
"The way we've designed this is really to be as flexible as possible because over time, the needs and the programs will change," Mazachek said, "and we need to be able to change the space to be able to meet those needs."
The project is projected to cost $1.2 million with designs provided by HTK Architects. Kelly Construction would be the builder.
The Washburn Tech East facility was developed through a partnership with Washburn Tech, GO Topeka, JEDO and the East Topeka community. It officially opened June 2019.
When will the buildout be complete?
Mazachek said conversations would begin almost immediately to begin planning the construction timeline.
"We will begin work as soon as we possibly can." Mazachek told JEDO leaders. "We look forward to showing you the new space when it's complete."
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Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Washburn Tech East Campus will grow with a second-floor addition
