Bates Technical College officials will celebrate the grand opening of the $23 million Advanced Technology Center in Tacoma next month.

Officials broke ground on the two-story, 53,000-square-foot building (pictured below) last year (see “Bates Technical College to break ground on Advanced Technology Center,” Tacoma Daily Index, March 14, 2014; “Bates Technical College breaks ground on $23M Advanced Technology Center,” Tacoma Daily Index, March 27, 2014; “Tacoma Daily Index Top Stories — March 2014,” Tacoma Daily Index, April 1, 2014; and “Construction continues on Bates Tech’s $23M Advanced Technology Center,” Tacoma Daily Index, April 23, 2015). The facility includes an auditorium, meeting spaces, administrative support and educational spaces, a STEM classroom, a learning resource center, and student support services. The award-winning building was designed by Tacoma-based McGranahan Architects and achieves the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold rating, according to Bates Technical College officials.

“This building provides an outstanding new home for our faculty, staff and students in these programs,” said Bates Technical College President Ron Langrell. “The facility will help reinforce our connections with industry and community members, and will position our college at the forefront of innovation and collaborative learning in our region.

A grand opening ceremony and art dedication will be held at the Advanced Technology Center on Bates Technical College’s Central/Mohler Campus, located at 2320 S. 19th St., in Tacoma, on Thurs., Jan. 7, between 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. More information is available online at here.