A groundbreaking has been held for the upcoming expansion of Malcolm X College’s West Side campus at 4624 W Madison Street in Austin. Sitting near the intersection with N Kenton Avenue, plans for the community-centric expansion were originally revealed last year as it headed towards city approvals.
Rendering of the Community Center for Teaching and Learning via City Colleges
The expansion comes after all seven City Colleges saw an increase in enrollment, with Malcom X seeing a 17 percent increase according to the Sun Times. The expansion itself comes after a small renovation to the college’s West Side Learning Center, a small outpost that was once a Jewel Osco. With the campus focussing on nursing, health science, and continuing education.
Rendering of the Community Center for Teaching and Learning via City Colleges
The one-story addition will bring 3,000 square feet of space to the front lawn of the small school building. Dubbed the Community Center for Teaching and Learning, its programming will include student and common spaces, as well as a large multi-use rentable community space. This would allow for a 50 percent increase in student capacity, up to 2,000 students.
Rendering of the Community Center for Teaching and Learning via City Colleges
Clad in metal panels, stone, and glass windows, the project originally had a cost of around $9.5 million, having now grown to $17.5 million. This will be partially funded via $9 million in state funding. The building should be complete in around 18 months, with a future expansion already in the works to add a large lab building to the center.
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I’m happy to see the increase in enrollment.