GALESBURG — The latest chapter in Sandburg history was written Tuesday as the college held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting for its new Science & Technology Center.
A crowd of about 200 alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members explored the $27 million, 46,733-square-foot facility, which officially opened its doors in August for the start of the fall semester.
“Science and technology are the transformational tools which are going to bring our world to life in the next century,” President Dr. Seamus Reilly said. “And it is critical that we have the best tools, the best spaces, the best collaborative teaching environments for our students and our staff and faculty so that we can flourish. I think we have accomplished that here in opening this building today.”
Work on the two-story S+T Center began in early 2023, and it features dramatic views of Lake Storey on the inside edge of the campus. The new building houses classrooms, laboratories, offices and clinical areas for Sandburg’s health professions, natural sciences, nursing and dental hygiene programs. It also includes a business center and wellness suite for student use, allowing specialized spaces for students to focus on their academic success and mental health.
“As we are about to cut the ribbon, I reflect on those early questions (during the planning stage of the building): Was this ambitious? Is this awesome? How could we impact student success?” said Carrie Hawkinson, vice president of academic services. “Well, the construction of this building was ambitious. The instructional spaces are awesome. But the instruction, student support and clear commitment of Sandburg’s faculty, staff and students are making the real impact for student success.”
Designed by Farnsworth Group of Peoria and with River City Construction of East Peoria serving as the general contractor, the S+T Center is the first new building on Sandburg’s Galesburg campus since 2006. It also marks the most impactful project there since its primary construction in 1969.
The site where the S+T Center stands previously housed the college’s automotive technology program, which is now located with Sandburg’s other industrial programs in the Center for Manufacturing Excellence on the other side of Tom L. Wilson Blvd.
The construction of the S+T Center also allowed for Sandburg’s dental hygiene program to be relocated to the Galesburg campus. Previously, the dental hygiene program had been located at the Annex in downtown Galesburg.
“As we celebrate this opening and we cut the ribbon for this building, let's be thankful that we can share with each other as Sandburg alumni, students, trustees, whoever we are within the community,” said DeVone Eurales, chairperson of the board of trustees. “It's great that we can come in and share this together, and I hope we continue down this path of new beginnings for our campus community.”
The completion of the S+T Center serves as the first step of an updated campus master plan for improvements and developments at Sandburg in the coming years. Renovations to the Student Center, which sits adjacent to the S+T Center, are currently in progress and expected to be completed in early 2025. Preliminary plans are also in place to build the Charger Center, an athletic and conference facility that will expand the athletics capabilities of the campus and allow Sandburg to host community events of a grand scale.
“The spaces here in this building and the other buildings we’re talking about are going to bear witness to countless moments of discovery and learning for students across the district,” said Eric Johnson, chief advancement officer for the Sandburg Foundation. “It's going to help create new stories, new memories, and they're going to reach well beyond the walls we have here at Sandburg.”
