World renowned architect Cesar Pelli of Pelli, Clarke, Pelli Architects will be the featured speaker at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence.

Press Release

World renowned architect Cesar Pelli of Pelli, Clarke, Pelli Architects will be the featured speaker at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AMCE) facility to be constructed east of the Columbus Learning Center. Pelli serves as the design architect for the AMCE and Ratio Architects of Indianapolis serves as the executive architectural firm for the project. The AMCE will prepare students and employees for the changing needs of the region’s advanced manufacturing / technology industry, while strengthening the overall economic competitiveness and attractiveness of the region. Pelli said, “I am excited to be designing a building again for Columbus, Indiana; a city that I much admire and love. I am also very excited with the purpose the AMCE building will fulfill: to open for all in the region new and great opportunities for advancement through a very sophisticated educational program.”

Will Miller, serving as chair of the architectural committee for the Community Education Coalition (CEC) stated, “Columbus is very fortunate to have Cesar Pelli designing a new building in our community. He is one of the leading architects in the world at the height of his career, with a rich history of designing practical and beautiful academic buildings.”

Time/Place

The ceremony will be held Friday, November 6th, beginning at 10 a.m., on the site just east of the Columbus Learning Center, 4555 Central Ave, Columbus, IN 47203.

Participants

Featured speakers will include Cesar Pelli, Will Miller, Columbus’ Mayor Fred Armstrong; CEC’s Chief Executive Officer, John Burnett, and Jack Hess, President of Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.

Program/Photo Op

Following the speakers’ remarks, local students representing Columbus Area Career Connection (C4), will be involved in the groundbreaking ceremony.

AMCE

The AMCE is a 42,000 square foot facility planned to house advanced manufacturing and technology certification and degree programs, and related work force training of Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue College of Technology, Indiana University Purdue University Columbus, and including high school programs serving the communities of southeastern Indiana.

Mark Gerstle, Chairman of the Community Education Coalition and Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Cummins Inc. remarked, “The AMCE is an exciting investment in our community and region. Students will be offered the opportunity to pursue industry recognized certification and degree programs that will prepare them for work in a globally competitive world.”

A truly collaborative process was used to create the programming for the AMCE. Jack Hess, President of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and chair of the AMCE programming committee worked with the leaders and the education institutions (post secondary and K -12), business representatives and community representatives to develop the program of the AMCE. Hess noted, “AMCE will be truly unique in its form and its function. There are few such examples in the country that seamlessly weave together education, workforce, and business development services collectively focusing on a single economic cluster. The programming delivered within the facility will be tightly coordinated among the educational partners to move workers in the industry up at least one level in their education and training. By also providing technical assistance and workforce development programs specific to manufacturing within the same space, AMCE will be a true regional asset in creating the workforce of the future.”

The AMCE will be built and equipped using $15 million in grant funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of the Economic Opportunities 2015 (EcO15) initiative. Cummins Foundation provided a grant for the design architect fees. Two Bartholomew County organizations- the Community Education Coalition and Heritage Fund, the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, provide leadership, oversight, and management support services for the regionally focused initiative. “As is always the case in collaborative initiatives such as this, we have so many organizations and people to thank. We are grateful to Lilly Endowment for investing in our region. We thank Cummins Foundation for its grant for the architectural design fees. And, we thank the Heritage Fund, and the community foundation leaders of all counties engaged in EcO15 who have brought together the region’s stakeholders who have created and are implementing plans for expanded educational opportunities for students,” said John Burnett, Chief Executive Officer of the CEC.

“It is exciting to have Cesar Pelli design an innovative building that will serve the students, employers, and communities in the region. The ground breaking ceremony is a great milestone and I can’t wait until it opens in 2011 with high quality programs delivered to students by our education partners. The program offerings are vital to our region’s long-term economic success,” said Sherry Stark, President and CEO of the Heritage Fund, the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.

The goal of EcO15 is to create a truly regional system of lifelong learning with the objective of moving each person up at least one level in his/her education, training, job placement, and income.

Source: The Community Education Coalition