From left: CORE Construction Project Manager Kevin McCormack, Nevada Gold Mines Turquoise Ridge Manager Paul Wilmot, Nevada System of Higher Education Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs Crystal Abba, NSHE Regent Cathy McAdoo, Great Basin College President Joyce Helens, VanWoert Bigotti Architect Angela Bigotti, UNR President Brian Sandoval, SGA Winnemucca Center Student Edward Sanches and SGA Winnemucca Center Student German Barajas were on hand for the May 7 groundbreaking.
Courtesy Photo
Ashley Maden | Nevada News Group
Friday, May 14, 2021
Great Basin College in Winnemucca has broken ground on its new $9 million Health Sciences and Technology Building, with expected completion this summer.
The project will approximately double the Winnemucca GBC campus footprint.
“This building will not only be beautiful, but it will provide appropriate space and technology for students to excel in education. In addition, it will allow us to grow and thrive at a time when it is needed most,” said GBC Winnemucca Center Director Lisa Campbell.
All allied health programs, including nursing, certified nursing assistant, EMS and paramedic, and potentially a radiology program, will be housed in the building for health sciences once complete. The technology portion of the building will house the college electrical program.
The college originally began seeking funds for the project in 2018, after receiving match grant approval of $5 million from the William N. Pennington Foundation once the community raised $2 million for the project.
The project was originally proposed as a $7 million project; further cost estimates and analysis showed the project was closer to $9 million, and the Pennington foundation increased their contribution amount to $8.3 million.
Humboldt General Hospital donated $1 million to the project, Nevada Gold Mines (formerly Barrick and Newmont when donations given) donated $400,000, and the college’s Student Government Association donated $100,000 toward furnishings.
“This building is an amazing incredible project for our college and our community; we’ve grown so much in our current space to provide all levels of education,” said Campbell. “One of my greatest joys is to be present in this community, seeing alumni that share stories of what an education with Great Basin College has provided to them.”
The project is a Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR) project, meaning bidding and cost proposals are done up front and cost of materials and supplies is locked in.
The project, led by CORE Construction, should take approximately 18 months to build, with anticipated building completion in summer 2022 and classes to be held in the building for the first time in fall 2022.
“It’s a very exciting project for Great Basin College and Nevada System of Higher Education along with the communities of Humboldt County, to bring a new building into this with very little state funds used,” said Great Basin College President for Business Affairs Sonja Sibert. “This is all mostly from investors who have invested in higher education in this area.”
