Moraine Park Technical College broke ground this week on an advanced manufacturing center at its West Bend campus, located at 2151 N. Main St.
The 40,000-square-foot addition will be constructed in two phases. Phase one of the project will include construction of a manufacturing, automation and robotics lab to support advanced manufacturing, welding, metal fabrication and robotics for apprenticeship degree programs and job training. The expected completion date is December 2024.
Phase two of the West Bend campus expansion, which includes the reconfiguration of the main campus entrance, will begin in spring 2025. The lab will bring seven new manufacturing programs to the West Bend campus.
“This project did not come without massive hurdles,” said Josh Schoemann, Washington County executive. “Higher education is changing in ways we have not seen in our lifetimes, and the vision President (Bonnie) Baerwald brought for this project will create unprecedented opportunities for future generations.”
Moraine Park has also launched a $2 million capital campaign to raise the money needed to buy equipment for the manufacturing, automation and robotics lab. The school has received $550,000 in pledges so far.
