SALISBURY —  Rowan-Cabarrus Community College will hold a grand opening celebration of the newly renovated Health and Sciences Building on Thursday, March 31, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is open to the community and potential students, and their parents are invited to attend.

Thanks to completing nearly all of construction projects on North Campus, including the final renovations to the Health and Sciences Building (Building 600) which faces Interstate 85, the college has a fresh new view to welcome visitors and community members alike.

“We are excited to bring a new face to the college’s North Campus. From I-85, you are beginning to see a new and welcoming ‘front door’ to Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and our community,” said Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.

The building opened this spring for classes, and the college’s board of trustees had the opportunity to tour the newly renovated Health and Sciences Building.

“We welcome the community to the North Campus. We are the community’s college, and we believe you will be pleasantly surprised by the renovations and the improvements we have been able to make,” said Spalding.

The renovations and the addition to Building 600 are the last of the projects from the 2010 Rowan County bond referendum to be completed. The $12.3 million bond supported the creation of the new Fire & Emergency Services Training Facility, and renovations to the North Campus, including bringing the college’s facilities up-to-date with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

The addition to Building 600, the only expansion and additional square footage gained by the projects, was funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The 30,000-square-foot addition provided new classrooms and labs.

Building 600 is home to a newly renovated and improved dental assisting program that has received updated equipment and furniture. Their lab is a functional client training facility that looks very similar to what graduates will find in the industry. The college’s radiography program is also located in Building 600 and has seen significant renovations and equipment updates in the last few years.

As part of the renovations, the college also took the former administration building, Building 300, and turned it largely into newly refurbished classrooms with smart technology.

“The technology in our new classrooms is doing just what we hoped it would do – get out of the way and make it easier for our students to learn. We’re getting a lot of positive feedback from instructors and students,” said Ken Ingle, the college’s chief information officer.

The college’s board was pleased to tour the facilities and see local taxpayer dollars at work.

“I am thrilled to have the Rowan County bond projects complete. The college has put the funds to great use. Our students, many of whom are alumni now, were very passionate about this $12 million bond, and took it upon themselves to advocate on behalf of the college to their families, friends and neighbors,” said Carl M. Short, chairman of the Rowan-Cabarrus Board of Trustees. “Their efforts were so impressive that the North Carolina Community College System awarded them the Top ‘C’ award for excellent student leadership and involvement. I think we have made them and the community proud for what the college has been able to create.”