The construction of one building that will become the flagship structure of the Northern Marianas College will take a while, but NMC will still move forward with its overall master plan for the new campus.
In a news briefing last Monday, NMC interim president Frankie Eliptico said that NMC is working on establishing the framework for the current and future growth and development of the campus, including classrooms and other learning spaces, offices, laboratories, and open spaces.
The flagship building, Eliptico said, will be the main building where students will go. It’ll have student services, cafeteria, offices, and more.
The federally funded construction of the new campus is estimated to cost between $75 million and $100 million. Eliptico said that the whole campus is expected to be completed in 2024.
NMC is also making sure the campus will also be open to the community. Eliptico said that NMC will have walkways where people can jog. He also wants to make a pathway where NMC students will be able to walk to nearby cafes, like Java Joe’s and Mango Six.
The new gym will be reimagined in a larger context of health care and a health facility. NMC’s new gym will have a place for basketball, volleyball, and even its own gym.
“We want to make sure there are exercise rooms for both your physical and mental health. The elements of the gym are necessary. For example, probably put a couple of classrooms in there, but other functional facilities that will be part of a health care facility, and not just the basketball or volleyball court, weight rooms, and other things that support health needs,” said Eliptico, adding that health trends are evolving, and NMC wants to be sure that there’s general space for larger multi-function rooms.
“We are thankful to the U.S. Department of Education, the governor, the NMC Board of Regents, the guidance of regulatory agencies, and others for their support and help with our recovery activities,” he added.