Campus Happenings
Wake Tech Holds Topping Out Ceremony for New Skilled Trades Building
RALEIGH, N.C. (February 18, 2020) - Wake Tech is a step closer to opening a second skilled trades building to train electricians and heating and cooling technicians on the Southern Wake Campus.
On Tuesday, a topping-out ceremony was held to celebrate the placement of the last beam on Building R, which will enable the college to train 100 more students in its Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Technology (HVAC), Building Automation Technology (BAT), and Electrical Systems Technology (EST) programs.
Designed by Raleigh-based Davis Kane Architects and built by Monteith Construction, the $12.5 million, 34,000-square-foot facility is supported by a combination of CONNECT NC Bond funds and Wake County bond funds. It will have four classrooms as well as labs for each of the three programs.
The new building is adjacent to the 52-year-old Ready Hall, the current home to the programs. When Building R opens to students this fall, Ready Hall will undergo renovations to modernize welding and HVAC labs to support new welding classes and the integration of additional commercial refrigeration courses.
“The demand for quality welders, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and other skilled trade workers is massive in our region,” said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. “There are more jobs being posted than there are skilled workers to fill them. This new building will allow the college to prepare more technicians for these high-paying careers,”
Construction partners invited trustees, staff, faculty, and students to sign the final beam before it was hoisted into the air and placed atop the structure.
“At Monteith, our motto is ‘We Build Relationships,” said Drew Hardin, Monteith Project Executive. “But here we say ‘We Build Leaders.’ We’re confident that this building will serve Wake Tech well for years to come.”
Building R is on track to be completed this summer.
