LCC buys land for new Jones building
LaToya Mack, staff writer
©Kinston Free Press

Lenoir Community College trustees bought nine acres of land in Jones County with plans to build a $1 million school building there.

The college spent $135,000 for the land on U.S. 58. The land is directly in front of the Jones County Industrial Park and west of Trenton.

The land was bought with 2000 Higher Education Bond money. The building will be paid for using bond money as well.

"What the goal is, is for us to have a state-of-the-art workforce training center so we can accommodate the training needs for Jones County," LCC President Brantley Briley said.

LCC trustees have said the Jones County Center needs to be replaced because the building is too small and not conducive to learning.

LCC's Jones County classes are held in a house the school bought in 1984. The house was built in 1980. LCC built an addition onto the house in 1997.

"The old building they're in now is not really adequate for their needs," said Joseph Wiggins, Jones County Commissioners chairman. "They're talking about expanding."

Wiggins said the new building will be more convenient for Jones County people because they'll have access to more classes without going outside of the county.

Jones County Commissioners have pledged $250,000 to the project. They'll give $50,000 every year for five years.

"The Lenoir Community College Trustees and I are extremely grateful to the Jones County Commissioners for sharing our vision for a new state-of-the-art facility for the Jones County area," Briley said. "This will definitely be a win-win situation."

The expansion of the community college is only the beginning of the good things that are happening in Jones County, Commissioner Sondra Riggs said.

"We're going to build our county up and make it like other counties," Riggs said. "They won't have to go anywhere and can train right here. I'm just so excited about it. I really am. Things are just looking up."

Briley said the college plans to have the process started in 60 to 90 days. The first step will be to hire an architect to design a building.

LaToya Mack can be reached at (252) 527-3191, Ext. 273, or lmack@freedomenc.com.