Making space for Butler college

Enrollment in Lawrence County has risen 10
percent each year for the last seven years.

By LAURE CIOFFI

VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — For Nicholas Neupauer, breaking ground at the new Lawrence County campus of Butler County Community College, located on U.S. Route 224 about six miles from Poland Township, is a bit of a homecoming.

Neupauer, the community college’s president, grew up in Lawrence County and spent a good part of his youth playing at the Union Township site that was formerly Riley’s Fun Spot — a teenage haven that once boasted miniature golf, go-carts and trampolines.

Neupauer joked that he was replacing the divots he left from miniature golf as the ceremonial groundbreaking took place Thursday.

College officials formally announced their plans for Golba Construction to build a 25,000-square-foot building that will house seven classrooms, two science laboratories, three computer labs and 600 parking spaces.

Leo Golba, a Lawrence County developer, also has plans to put a strip mall, day-care center and restaurants on the 13-acre site. He intends to lease the new building to the school and leave enough room for future expansion.

Growing enrollment

Neupauer said the new building was necessary since enrollment in Lawrence County classes at the college — commonly called BC3 — has increased 10 percent every year for the last seven years.

There are about 500 students taking classes offered in Lawrence County and they simply ran out of room in their current space.

BC3 now offers classes at the Lawrence County Learning Center, a downtown New Castle building used by several colleges, and the Lawrence County Vocational and Technical School.

Neupauer said college officials expect the new campus, located in Union Township near the intersection of U.S. Route 224 and Route 60, to generate more students from Lawrence County and eastern Ohio, which currently does not offer a community college.

Youngstown State University has put together a plan for a community college in Mahoning County, but has not received state sanction to move forward.

Neupauer said the new building should be completed by May or early June and classes will begin in August.

The community college has agreements to match coursework with more than 40 high schools, technical schools and colleges and universities and offers 60 degree programs.

BC3’s main campus is in Butler and it already has two other satellite locations — Linden Pointe in Hermitage, Pa., and one in Cranberry Township.

Neupauer said this year is the first where enrollment in Lawrence County has exceeded enrollment at the Cranberry Township location.

cioffi@vindy.com