5th campus OK’d for Palm Beach State College

June 05--The fourth time was the charm for Palm Beach State College's effort to open a new western campus.

The three story, 50,000-square-foot building will sit on a 75-acre site at the corner of Southern Boulevard and B Road in Loxahatchee Groves. The school's fifth campus will mostly serve residents in the Acreage, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington and Loxahatchee areas, and will relieve crowding at other campuses.

A study in 2006 found there were no close options for these students to receive a public education. They were commuting to Lake Worth, Belle Glade or Palm Beach Gardens. There is also a campus in Boca Raton.

"No matter which went way they went, it was a long haul," college spokeswoman Grace Truman said. "If you're looking at a 90-minute round trip and your class only lasts 90 minutes, it's really hard for students."

Construction is expected to start this fall with plans to open in 2016.

The Legislature allocated $6 million for the campus and Gov. Rick Scott signed off on it this week.

Despite the need, the college has had to wait years for the funding. The Legislature first approved $5 million for the project in 2007, but then Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed it as part of $459 million in cuts. He said at the time that Florida residents were burdened by rising gas prices, property taxes and home insurance rates, and the state needed to be more frugal.

The plans also seemed in jeopardy after a proposal to build the campus in Wellington fell through in 2009. The college secured the Acreage site in 2011 but then Gov. Rick Scott twice vetoed funding.

This year, Scott pledged to make a big investment in higher education.

"Palm Beach State College has worked to further promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and has demonstrated its commitment to college affordability," said John Tupps, a spokesman for Scott. "This budget provides critical educational investments that will help accomplish these goals."

Truman said she thinks the college did a better job of persuading the governor's office of the need for the campus.

The project will cost about $25 million, with the college using other funds to pay the balance of the costs. Truman said the project wouldn't have been able to go forward without the state allocation.

"We had money to do the initial site work, but once you break ground, you can't go back. You can't build half a building," Truman said.

Karen Dees Darter, an instructional designer and adjunct professor, was excited about the news. She is now assigned to the Belle Glade campus, about 45 minutes away from her home near West Palm Beach. She hopes to get a transfer.

"Woo hoo. Maybe I'll have a shorter commute," she cheered on Facebook.

stravis@tribune.com or 561-243-6637 or 954-425-1421

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