Black Hawk College renovation projects move forward

Black Hawk College is moving forward with its series of renovations and updates on the Quad Cities campus. In fact, one of those projects is complete and ready for the public. A community ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for the BHC Athletic Complex at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at the college’s Quad Cities campus, […]

Black Hawk College is moving forward with its series of renovations and updates on the Quad Cities campus. In fact, one of those projects is complete and ready for the public.

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A community ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for the BHC Athletic Complex at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at the college’s Quad Cities campus, 6600 34th Ave., Moline. The Athletic Complex is south of 34th Avenue near Building 3. (That building is currently undergoing a renovation project, but the parking lots and the athletic complex are accessible.) The new $12.1 million complex, first announced in July 2022, features baseball and softball fields, and a separate structure to house restrooms and a concession booth. The Oct. 14 ceremony will include tours of the turf and lighted fields. The public will get the chance to meet current and former players and enjoy refreshments. Also, the first 200 people at the event will receive a free commemorative ribbon. The BHC Athletic Complex is only one part of major renovation projects in the works and in the planning stages for the college. Two other projects include:

• Building 3: This $40 million renovation is focusing on renovating about 144,000 square feet of the building including adding science and health career labs, fitness spaces, classrooms, offices and the campus police department. It is scheduled for completion in August of 2024.
• Building 2: This $18 million project will include a major building renovation. It is scheduled to begin when Building 3’s renovation work is complete.

Black Hawk College officials gave the QCBJ a tour of the ongoing renovation work in Building 3 on Thursday, Oct. 5. “It’s been going very well. There have been some hiccups … but we’ve worked through them,” said Steven J. Frommelt, the college’s vice president for finance and administration, about the work in that building. Currently, there are 40 to 50 workers busy with various projects in Building 3. Officials with the project contractor, Russell, said there will eventually be 100 workers at the job site. On Thursday, those workers were busy with a variety of jobs inside the building. The building was filled with equipment and supplies, such as steel beams covering many of the floors of the building. Also, at least some workers filled carts with some unexpected items – many softballs and baseballs workers found during the renovation work. At least one of those jobs in Building 3 is complete – the gym area. Renovation work on the gym was complete at the end of July. Today, it’s already being used for men’s and women’s basketball practice, and volleyball practice, said Mr. Frommelt. Some of the new features of the Building 3 project include: eight natural science labs; seven science prep and storage rooms; five classrooms; four health science labs; athletics/fitness facilities; the campus police department office; a training room; a computer lab; faculty offices; a food pantry and a new entrance.