Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- The state has released the first $91,000 in funding for safety and security upgrades as well as roof work at Eastern Gateway Community College, State Rep. Jack Cera, D-Bellaire, said Tuesday.
The money will be used for completion of architectural and engineering design services for projects at EGCC's Jefferson County campus. MS Consultants Inc. of Youngstown will do the work.
"The $91,000 is part of a larger sum that's going to be coming throughout 2019 for the projects," Eastern Gateway President Jimmie Bruce, said. "I think the total award was somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.3 million."
Bruce said the upgrades will be spent at the Steubenville campus.
"We're doing a safety and security upgrade … getting new locks on all our doors, cameras, some security equipment," he said. "We're really excited about that, getting state help bringing our campus up to current safety standards where we know that safety is going be to be enhanced … we can go to our students and employees and say we're providing them with the safest working and learning environment possibile."
The work will include some roof maintenance, he added. "When you have a building 50 years old, (you have to) stay on top of routine maintenance," Bruce said.
Cera said the funding was included in H.B. 529.
"Eastern Gateway continues to provide affordable, quality education to those in my district," said Cera. "These important enhancements to the campus show our continued commitment to improve access to higher education in Eastern Ohio."
The draw down was approved at a state Controlling Board meeting Tuesday. Cera has served on the Controlling Board, the panel tasked with oversight of state spending, since 2017.
"With the things we learn about every day in the news, we want to make sure students and employees are as safe as possible," Bruce said. "That takes money. We're grateful the state recognizes that and is helping."