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CWC earns federal funding for Jackson campus
Jeanette Boner | JH News & Guide | November 8, 2023
The new Central Wyoming College campus was sketched by Denver designers Anderson Mason Dale Architects and recently redesigned. The new plans take the building from a two-story structure down to a one-story building. COURTESY RENDERING.
Central Wyoming College’s request for $12.4 million in American Rescue Plan funding was approved last week. The federal funding will be used for the planning and construction of the new Jackson campus south of town.
In March 2022, Sen. Mike Gierau and then-Rep. Andy Schwartz worked with the state Joint Appropriations Committee to draft a capital construction budget, which provided either $10.3 million from the state Strategic Investments and Projects account or $12.4 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to build the outreach campus in Jackson.
Gov. Mark Gordon signed the bill last March promising state support to help CWC apply for the ARPA funds
Additionally, last November local voters passed a $10 million Specific Purpose Excise Tax — or SPET — to bring the total $20 million project to fruition.
President Brad Tyndall told the News&Guide last week that the community college was thrilled to be approved for the federal funding. The ARPA funds, also known as the COVID-19 stimulus package, and SPET funding will work together to construct the new campus.
Tyndall said the additional $2.4 million will be used to stem inflation costs associated with the project, which stand to increase the project costs by 5 to 10%.
In Wyoming, post secondary educational funding models require half of the funding to be local.
Making progress
The 2-acre campus slated for the new facility located just off of High School Road, next to the Jackson Hole High School, was recently annexed into the town of Jackson.
The campus was sketched by Denver designers Anderson Mason Dale Architects and recently redesigned. The new plans take the building from a two-story structure down to a one-story building.
Tyndall said the new plans will save money on operational and energy costs.
Plans for the new school will lean heavily on solar energy in an effort to create a carbon-neutral facility.
The CWC Jackson campus currently rents space from the Center for the Arts. The new facility will provide greater space for nursing and culinary programs. Tyndall said having their own water and gas sources will also allow for more sophisticated science labs. He anticipates the nursing program to double and the culinary programs to triple after the new facility is constructed.
CWC leaders are looking to submit development plans to the town by March 2024. Tyndall is hopeful the campus will open in 2026.
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