Rock Valley College just opened a brand-new campus in downtown Rockford, just a few blocks west of the Rock River.
The campus includes two main buildings: the Downtown Learning Center and Downtown Training Center. The training center will focus on technical training like truck diving and collision repair. The Learning Center offers early childhood education, criminal justice, human services, adult learning programs, refugee & immigrant services, and general education classes.
Rock Valley President Howard Spearman says it’s a project more than a decade in the making, and that it's important because they know it was a challenge for many students, especially on the city’s west side, to make it to RVC’s main campus to pursue a degree.
“That alone," he said, "providing that level of access or that level of awareness, in a community that feels like they may be disconnected from the rest of the county, I believe it'll be life changing."
Spearman estimates around 1,500 students will learn at the campus this year, while a “community engagement center” will bring other local groups into the new space.
Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli the county helped facilitate the sale in part because the block had suffered through years of blight and underuse.
"I believed that property could do more for this community in the hands of Rock Valley College," said the chairman, "becoming an educational campus that serves our citizens and makes a lasting impact on their future."
RVC President Spearman says the campus is intentionally located near the Rockford Mass Transit District bus terminal. Students will also be able to ride the city’s public transportation for free.
Outgoing Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara says, starting next year, there'll be an additional $20 million investment to make the area more accessible to students, which will include separated bike lanes, sidewalks, and better lighting.
