PEARL – Expanded job training, more college transfer classes and a venue for community events such as high school graduations and business trade shows – all those are on the horizon for Hinds Community College's Rankin Campus as construction on the new Multi-Purpose Center is officially under way.

Rankin County and college leaders on Tuesday broke ground on the new project. Among those recognized for their leadership over the years in moving the campus forward were Rankin County supervisors and other county officials as well as state legislators.

"It's humbling to know that, as a board of supervisors, you've been a part of something as magnificent as this," said Walter Johnson, president of the Rankin County Board of Supervisors. "I don't  know of any action our board will take in our terms that will have the potentially positive impact on so many people, both young and old, not only for Rankin County but for central Mississippi for generations to come. It's very humbling to know that there will be a legacy that lives on as we educate our people."

The new 75,000-square-foot building is slated to open in fall 2010. It will house a 3,000-seat auditorium with a fixed stage and balcony but moveable seating that doubles as open space suitable for such events as trade shows. The $26 million project is being financed through Rankin County taxpayers.

"This will be something for the future and will serve this county in all kind of ways - economically and culturally, for students and for chambers of commerce and all the different types of activities we will have taking place," said Hinds President Dr. Clyde Muse.

The expansion is part of the master plan for the 25-year-old campus, the only public higher education venue in the county. The expansion was made possible in 2007 by the addition of 60 acres of land south of the existing campus. The Rankin County Board of Supervisors purchased 20 acres for the college. Ronnie and Sigrid Garner donated an additional 40 acres.

"This beautiful facility will be an economic stimulus for the county," said Dr. Lynn Weathersby, Rankin County schools superintendent and vice president of Hinds' Board of Trustees. "It will complement the Rankin Campus now and in the future."

The classroom wing will house six classrooms/labs, two industrial startup classrooms, faculty offices and a student lounge. The current multi-purpose room in George Wynne Hall will be converted to additional classroom space, Muse said.

More classroom space is needed as enrollment at the campus continues to grow. More than 2,500 high school and college students attend the campus, and current enrollment for fall is up 19 percent, compared to this time last year.

Pearl businessman Albert Moore, chairman of the Rankin Campus advisory board, said with President Obama's emphasis on using community colleges for job training, the timing for the expansion couldn't be better.

"The past few days, the headlines have been about job training and the need for retraining. The community college system has been chosen. The president has designated the community colleges as the vehicle to do that job," Moore said. "We can provide a new opportunity for a lot of adults that don't have a job today to become gainfully employed and to hold their families together."

The new building is being constructed on the south end of the new parcel of land visible from Interstate 20. The view of the Multi-Purpose Center from the interstate will be enhanced by a lake with water features.

The flatfloor auditorium can accommodate trade shows and large banquets while moveable panel walls will allow the space to be divided into a multi-room conference center. 

A suite of offices and a large conference room will be available for event organizers and will provide a more intimate setting for small group meetings. Large indoor lobbies will provide break-out space and lead to an exterior terrace area overlooking the lake. A full catering kitchen accompanies the meeting space.