Western Nebraska Community College is preparing for a renovation and expansion of the John N. Harms Center on the Scottsbluff Campus that will revamp and provide new spaces for WNCC Health Sciences programs.
The project consists of 34,421 square feet of renovated space split between the lower level and main floor within the existing John N. Harms Center, and will provide expansion and improvements for programs including nursing, emergency medical services, health information technology, medical laboratory technology, and surgical technology.
The project will largely be funded with money WNCC received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act totaling approximately $9 million.
“The demand for more nurses and healthcare professionals is nothing new to western Nebraska,” said WNCC President Greg Dart. “Having a state-of-the-art facility is important as we train the next generation of healthcare providers. This renovation will increase our ability to train more students and do it in an elevated learning experience.”
The remodeled spaces will allow for programs to be held in one cohesive area, rather than classrooms scattered throughout the building. In addition, the project will create additional classrooms and office spaces in areas that are currently underutilized.
“The renovation of the Harms Center is a very exciting time for our health science programs,” said Allisha Weeden Weitzel, dean of Health Sciences. “Having the students in one area will allow us to modernize student learning, provide more interactive teaching opportunities with our nursing simulators, and increase collaboration between programs. The new facilities will help us to better prepare students to work in today’s healthcare environment.”
Beckenhauer Construction was selected by the WCCA Board of Governors as the Construction Manager at Risk for the project. WNCC, Beckenhauer, and architectural designer Wilkins ADP have already begun the design phase of the project with substantial completion planned for January 2025.