NMC Student Center project gets going

A crowd of over 500 supporters, business partners, government agencies, students and community members joined Northern Marianas College staff and the PROA Tribe yesterday to break ground for NMC’s upcoming state-of-the-art Student Center at the school’s campus in As Terlaje.

To be located on the most prominent knoll of the hilltop college, the NMC Student Center will feature a building that will be three stories high, with approximately 45,000 square feet of enclosed space with a double-height multi-purpose hall, student services, dining, library, bookstore, office spaces, a performance lawn—“and it is just the beginning,” according to NMC president Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero in his welcoming remarks yesterday.

“Today is a new day, not just for NMC, but for the CNMI. The construction that begins today will usher in a new wave of economic activity that will revive our economy and renew our hope in the future,” he added.

Many of yesterday’s main speakers recalled the circumstances that led to yesterday’s groundbreaking. Deleon Guerrero said the groundbreaking shows the resilience of NMC’s staff and their dedication to students, coming on the heels of Typhoon Soudelor in 2016 and Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018, which destroyed 18 of the 25 campus buildings.

“But we could not get here on our own. While the PROA Tribe rowed and sailed, we had many people many partners that served as the wind in our sails, the waves on the ocean, and the currents in the sea…” he said.

The NMC Student Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Supplemental funds are also provided by the Office of Insular Affairs-Capital Improvement Projects.

Gov. Arnold I Palacios echoed Deleon Guerrero’s sentiments applauded all who have invested in this project. “…This project means so much not only for the college, but for the entire community. This building dedicated to our students is a symbol of our islands resiliency and comeback story,” he said.

U.S Education Secretary Miguel Cardona made a virtual appearance via a pre-recorded greeting, where he congratulated the NMC team “…We’ve been proud to be your partner in recovery,” he said. “While your campus may have been torn apart by Super Typhoon Yutu, your desire to help your students and the island community remain stronger than ever. …It’s my hope that this new Student Center not only provides support for students in years to come but also serves as a monument to your resilience, and what I know will be a new era of success for the entire community.”

The U.S. Department of Education provided over $20 million for the project, playing a major part in funding the center and contributing a bulk of the funding.

For the project, TRMA handled the building design, and as construction begins, Core Tech will be the main contractor.