From left: Cochise College president J.D. Rottweiler, Cochise College Governing Board chair David Di Peso, Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona CEO Margaret Hepburn, and Legacy Foundation Board Chairman Ron Wagner.
SIERRA VISTA — Cochise College will soon begin renovating the former hospital in Sierra Vista into its Downtown Center educational facility after the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona officially handed over the “key” to the building at a small ceremony on Monday.
The college is planning a $14 million renovation to the more than 50-year-old building to expand its nursing and allied health programs and provide upgraded facilities for culinary arts. The building will also include space for a number of community outreach departments, including its Small Business Development Center, Center for Lifelong Learning and Center for Economic Research, as well as community partners in workforce development and, as per the agreement with the Legacy Foundation, the Disabled American Veterans and Volunteer Interfaith Caregiver programs.
Cochise College president J.D. Rottweiler speaks during Monday’s ceremony.
“As a hospital, we were very much involved in strengthening people,” said Margaret Hepburn, CEO of the Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona. “Whether physically or mentally, we worked to make them the best they could be and help them reach their full potential. This college is exactly the same. You are also in the business of strengthening people, intellectually, through education. We have common goals in that respect.”
The 92,000-square-foot facility’s remodel is scheduled to be completed by August 2016.
“Today, to get things done, it’s about partnerships, and this is a great partnership between the college and community,” said Cochise College president J.D. Rottweiler. “Our students, our programs and our county’s residents will all have an opportunity to succeed here, fulfilling the college’s mission to provide accessible educational opportunities that lead to constructive citizenship, meaningful careers, and lifelong learning.”