Wesley College christened its new Health Science Building in Dover Thursday.
The new facility is housed within the old Allen Frear Federal Building. The 36,000 square foot facility greatly expands the college’s nursing program, which was previously in a building a fraction of the size with only one classroom. It now has four smart classrooms and triple the amount of clinical lab space.
Wesley’s President Dr. William Johnston says after about $2.2 million in renovations the new facility offers top of the line equipment to the students who started using it in January.
"We have the latest technology in the classroom and the laboratories. The electronics are phenomenal. It’s really the state of the art everything," said Johnston.
Johnston adds the school will be able to add another health-related major to its educational offerings with the additional space.
Governor Jack Markell cut the ribbon at the ceremony. He noted the growth of the healthcare industry despite the economic recession, adding that facilities like the new Health Science Building are critical to training a workforce for that growing sector of the economy.
"One of the key areas these days when it comes to economic development is making sure the employers have access to skilled workers, and that’s easier said than done in most fields," said Markell. "So whether it’s the work that’s going on in K-12, or the work that’s going on in higher ed, the work that goes on here is just incredibly important.
The building was declared surplus property by the federal government nearly five years ago. It was valued at about $3.6 million dollars, but Wesley College wound up obtaining it in December 2012 at no cost through a Public Benefit Allowance discount because the school was using it for educational purposes.