A large crowd turned out in Cleveland Thursday afternoon not only to enjoy the beautiful weather, but also to join with Truett McConnell College for a ceremonial ground breaking and dedication of the new George Blaurock Student Wellness Center on the campus.
The 69,000 square foot building will be named after one of the founders the Anabaptist movement over 500 years ago, George Blaurock.
Ground actually was broken a few weeks ago for the facility and TMC President Dr. Emir Caner said the process is moving quickly.
"Over the next eight weeks, concrete will be poured, the wall will be finished, the retention wall as high as 22-feet out there and then we’ll get the steel up in May," Caner said.
The building, when completed, will be one of the biggest facilities in White County. The student center will house a gymnasium, running-walking track, two racquetball courts, an aquatic center, a student lounge on each floor and a café.
"It’s not just for us, it’s for the community," Caner said. "We’ll have community memberships.”
Caner told the crowd that the ceremony was not just the beginning of a project, but it was the continuation of a dream that started on July 23,1946 - the date Truett McConnell College was founded.
"I want you to picture the point of this day as not a dedication of this building - it is a re-dedication of this campus to the Lord Jesus Christ," said Caner.
Following the completion of the wellness center - expected to happen in January 2017 - TMC will embark on a new academic building project. Then, on May 14 Truett McConnell College will move to the university status.
