The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) Health and Life Sciences Building was recently held at the Arnold campus. The community was invited to join Dawn Lindsay, AACC president, the board of trustees and local dignitaries, including Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman at the event.

The 175,000-square foot, three-story building includes 19 biology labs and 11 health science labs, a 160-seat lecture hall, greenhouse, classrooms, computer labs, study/meeting rooms, tutoring and advising, and faculty and deans’ offices.

The building, part of the college’s 10-year Facilities Master Plan, will house more than 20 health sciences programs, as well as biology, nutrition and more. Expansion of the college’s nationally-ranked nursing program will be possible, and the building will host an environmental center with cutting-edge research contributing to the region’s environmental health. It also will have the flexibility to accommodate new programs.

AACC awarded the roughly $13 million design contract to architects at SmithGroup and the almost $91 million construction project to The Whiting Turner Contracting Company. The equipment and furnishings budget is around $13 million.

Funding was provided by the county and state. AACC is grateful for their support and for recognizing how equipping our students in the best way possible makes for a better Anne Arundel County and Maryland for all of us. The building is set to be completed August 2021.