43
EGCC’s Warren Center opens for spring semester
By Denise Dick
WARREN
Eastern Gateway Community College plans to begin offering classes Jan. 12 at its new Warren Center with hopes to double its Trumbull County enrollment by next fall.
The college has been offering classes at the Atrium Building on Market Street for the past few years as well as a few courses at Trumbull Career and Technical Center in Champion, but the spring semester will see the opening of new quarters.
Higher Education Partner-EGCC Ohio LLC, a partnership between the college and the private company, recently finalized the purchase of the former Mickey’s Army Navy Store on Main Street. The building was owned by Marty Cohen.
HEP also is the college’s partner in the operation of the Valley Center in Youngstown.
The Warren Center will open with four classrooms and some offices with plans for a bookstore and student lounge later in the year.
“Right now we have about 300 Trumbull County residents enrolled,” said Ann Koon, college spokeswoman.
“That’s not to say that they’re all necessarily taking classes in downtown Warren. We’re looking to double our enrollment in downtown Warren by next fall.”
Renovation of the former store will begin immediately and classes will be offered in the building in the spring semester Monday through Friday throughout the day and into the early evening.
Other businesses in the building, Subway, Dub City and PsyCare, will remain.
Classes offered include basic courses including psychology, math, history and developmental education. As with what happened at the Valley Center though, the course offerings and the facilities will expand to meet the needs of the community, Koon said.
Just like with the contract for the Valley Center building, HEP will be responsible for the build-out of the project as well as building operation and maintenance under the contract.
Eastern Gateway will handle all academic decisions, and the college and HEP will make joint decisions on marketing and promotional events.
Higher Education Partners will ensure there are sufficient funds to cover 105 percent of the college’s direct expenses for the project. HEP will then be able to recover its costs and overhead, plus a 15 percent service fee, from any net revenue coming from Warren Center operations.