Temple College Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building
Temple College on Wednesday hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new, four-story Health Sciences Building on the east side of the campus.
The 63,657-square-foot structure will feature a state-of-the-art sonography clinic, nursing simulation center, classrooms, administrative suites and a new front entrance for health care programs where students will be able to discover the wide variety of health career specialty training available at Temple College. This new building will sit adjacent to the College’s Health Sciences Center and the Dell Martin Nursing Education Center and will face HK Dodgen Loop.
This project, along with the construction of the new Main Building, Visual Arts and Workforce Building, and Campus Services Center, is funded by the $124.9 million bond passed by Temple residents in 2021. It will open in 2026.
“This is a great day for Temple College as we continue to build for the future and equip our students for success and high-paying careers,” said Dr. Christy Ponce, President of Temple College. “We are grateful to the Temple residents for investing in our community by supporting the bond. This new Health Sciences Building will be a home for thousands of students over the coming years to have hands-on learning experiences that will prepare them for incredible careers in health and that will support Central Texas communities and beyond.”
A large crowd of Temple College employees, board members, community members, architects, construction workers and civic, education and business leaders gathered at the construction site for the ceremony, which represents the next step in the transformation of the campus – and the city of Temple’s skyline.
In addition to the groundbreaking ceremony, the College took the opportunity to cut the ribbon on two completed projects – a new Campus Services Center and state-of-the art renovations to the College’s dental hygiene and surgical technology learning spaces.
The 17,500-square-foot Campus Service Center houses the College’s purchasing, maintenance and custodial operations and features staff offices, covered parking for Temple College vehicles, storage, maintenance/custodial workshop space, mail rooms, break room and conference space.
More than 8,200 square feet of renovations were made to the dental hygiene and surgical technology spaces, which are housed in the existing Health Sciences Center. Surgical technology has a new clean processing/decontaminator room with new decontaminator, a new scrub room, updated storage and an updated surgical classroom.
Dental hygiene’s makeover brought in new dental chairs and stations, X-ray equipment, a new dental materials lab, new reception/check-in area and new mechanical equipment. The renovated dental hygiene space will provide teeth cleaning for individuals in the community.
Among the speakers Wednesday were Temple College Board of Trustees Chair Lydia Santibanez-Farrell and Board member Dr. Andrejs Avots-Avotins; Temple Mayor Tim Davis; Texas State Representative Hugh Shine; Jessica Diem, District Director for Texas State Representative Brad Buckley; Perry Cloud, President and CEO of Cloud Construction Company; and Amy Holzle, Higher Education Principal Architect with Stantec.
Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, designed the Campus Services Center, Dental and Surgical Tech renovations and Health Sciences Center. Stantec also designed the new Temple College Main Building and Visual Arts and Workforce Building, scheduled to open in 2025.
“Temple College’s commitment to its students and the local communities is an inspiration and we’re honored to support its mission,” Holzle said. “These new facilities will support students and faculty in developing the next generation of healthcare providers who will serve the people of Central Texas.”
Temple-based Cloud Construction Company serves as the general contractor on all of the campus projects. President and CEO Perry Cloud said the company has enjoyed its relationship with the College, having worked on numerous projects throughout the decades.
“It’s truly an honor for us to be here today for another groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting. We’ve cherished our partnership with Temple College over the years,” Cloud said, sharing that his father worked on several of the buildings over 50 years earlier. “This long-term relationship is one that we’re very proud of.”
Temple College is not only growing its campus facilities. Since 2021, the College has seen a 22-percent increase in enrollment and now offers more than 80 degree, certificate and academic and workforce programs, including numerous competitive, high-demand health care and advanced manufacturing semiconductor training programs.
“Whenever I come to an event like this, I don’t think of it necessarily as a new building, I look at it as opportunity,” said Mayor Davis. “What we’re doing is we are giving our kids and future generations an opportunity to come to Temple and to succeed.”
“This event was a full day of celebration, with tours and ribbon cuttings of the new spaces and a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction for a new state of the art Health Sciences Center,” Ponce said. “This new building will round out the Temple College Health Care Training Hub and will fit in perfectly with the Temple Medical Education District.”
About Temple College
Temple College is “Your Community’s College,” a dynamic and growing community college that equips thousands of Central Texas students with the knowledge and skills for 21st-century success. Temple College, which has campuses in Temple, Hutto, Taylor and Rockdale, offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs to students who seek to earn credits for transfer, graduate with an associate degree or complete a certificate for fast entry into the workforce.
Founded in 1926, Temple College has enjoyed a reputation for academic excellence for 98 years. It is nationally recognized for its exceptional programs, from visual and performing arts to competitive athletics. The College has become one of the state’s premiere institutions for healthcare providers’ education and training, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development programs. The faculty and staff are committed to providing exceptional quality instruction.
