Although there is no exact date yet, the Northern Marianas College is tentatively looking at breaking ground on a new student center—the first of many buildings that will be built at the As Terlaje campus—during the summer of this year, according to NMC president Galvin Deleon Guerrero, Ed.D., yesterday.
In an interview after the proclamation signing for Community College Month at the Board of Regents conference room, Deleon Guerrero said this groundbreaking will be the first phase of the seven-phase facilities master plan, which was prepared and designed by Taniguchi Ruth Makio Architects and Consultants. The facilities master plan was approved last year by the NMC Board of Regents and includes conceptual designs and proposed constructions of new classrooms, offices, and other learning facilities.
Deleon Guerrero added that along with the student center, there are also proposals for a new Cooperative Research, Extension & Education Services research building.
“Things are moving very quickly. Once we start, this As Terlaje site will be abuzz with activity,” said Deleon Guerrero. “Most of the [new] buildings, if not all of them, should be up in three to five years. That’s the goal.”
When asked about the Tinian and Rota campuses, Deleon Guerrero said they are part of the facility’s master plan. “We are not leaving them out. In fact, we’ve been working very closely with the Tinian leadership to see what’s next for the Tinian community with not just the cattle ranchers…but also additional agricultural growth and the military buildup there. And then on Rota, we’re trying to expand more programs there, so we’re going to have to also upgrade our facilities there.”
Saipan Tribune archives show that included in the plans is the development and expansion of Chalan Monsignor Road, spanning the portion of the road starting from the college and ending near the Iglesia ni Cristo Church. Additionally, in the long-term NMC has expressed interest in partnering with key public and private sector stakeholders to create a “college town” environment around NMC’s As Terlaje campus.