October 2026 29

Brockton, Mass. – Massasoit Community College recently broke ground on a new 26,000sf Health Science Building on Sept. 8, marking the next phase of its $ 52 million Transformation Through Renovation( TTR) Project on its Brockton campus. The college also celebrated the completion of its new 26,000sf Science Building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony ahead of the start of classes on Sept. 9.

The milestones mark the halfway point of the construction phase of the years-long project to build classrooms and labs at the college’ s main campus. TTR is the largest one-time investment by the college and the Commonwealth to ensure that its facilities can meet growing workforce training and education demands in Brockton and across the region. It is the first major renovation of an academic building at the college since the campus was completed in 1978 and comes during the college’ s 60th anniversary celebrations.

The new Health Science Building is being created within the former Science Building, which is being gutted and renovated. The new space will be home to Massasoit’ s health sciences programs, including Nurse Education and Respiratory Care. The project will include updates to meet current technology, accessibility, energy and life safety standards.

The facility will also include simulation labs with control rooms, debrief spaces and skills labs designed to mirror environments used in area hospitals and clinics. The spaces will also provide area health care providers with opportunities for continuing education and training. The building is scheduled to open ahead of the fall 2027 semester.

“ These new state-of-the-art facilities will give Massasoit students access to modern laboratories, technologies, and hands-on learning opportunities that prepare them for lifelong careers in the life sciences,” said Kirk Taylor, M. D., president and CEO of theMassachusetts Life Sciences Center.

The college also officially opened its new Science Building, which was constructed within the gutted former Liberal Arts Building. The former Science Building opened in 1972, and most classrooms and labs housed furniture and equipment used by tens of thousands of students over the course of 54 years.

The new Science Building features digital-forward classrooms, new technologies and tools, student spaces, inclusive design and environmentally conscious features. In recent years, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center has supported TTR and STEM education at Massasoit through a series of grant awards targeting STEM research skills and micro-credentialing.

“ Our students need and deserve these first-rate facilities where they can learn the skills and gain the knowledge that will help them succeed as members of our community,” said Bill Mitchell, president of Massasoit Community College.

The Commonwealth awarded funding for the project in 2022, launching an inclusive and collaborative design phase. Planning and construction are managed

Massasoit’ s new science building / Photo by Massasoit Community College

by Massasoit and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance( DCAMM). The architect is Jones Architecture, and the general contractor is Commodore Builders, both of which have a long history of working successfully with Massasoit.

Sustainable practices were central to the planning and construction of the LEED Gold certified Science Building. By repurposing an existing 50-yearold building, 69 % of the building’ s components were preserved, reducing construction-related carbon emissions and waste. Ninety percent of the new finished products in the building contain recycled materials, and the building itself will use 48.3 % less energy. Except for lab gas, the building is fossil-fuel free. These

same principles will carry over to the new Health Science Building.

Building More Than Buildings ®

For more information, please contact: Robert Labanara | 203.710.0491 | rlabanara @ gilbaneco. com www. high-profile. com