No, Steve Ward, you’re not hallucinating.
We see it too.
The rise of the TransAlta Commons on the Centralia College campus comes with the approaching culmination of decades of work by dedicated, professional and persistent leadership at our local institution of higher learning.
As you can read on page Main 3, the college is nearing completion of not only construction of the towering new addition to campus, but its overall 20-year master plan to transform the college’s look and feel in a way that benefits all who seek a better life through education in Centralia.
Ward, the college’s vice president of finance and administration, has been among the most consistent and instrumental keys in the college’s steady growth, along with the board of trustees and many, many others.
In an interview with The Chronicle earlier this week, Ward exuded excitement as the master plan reaches its final stages.
“I can just tell you it’s been a long haul,” he said. “I’m really happy because I can now take you through a building I’ve been talking about for 10 years, so it’s like if you are the only one who has a vision, you have a hallucination, but now that it’s something you can touch, walk in and see, it feels good.”
There is still work to do, but the finish line is in sight.
The TransAlta Commons is just the latest in a long series of construction and beautification projects aimed at creating a modern, open campus that’s on par with the quality of education provided by the institution.
Anyone who has watched the college transform from a series of one-story buildings to a collection of impressive structures like Washington Hall, the Walton Science Center and others can attest the vision in the college’s plan is a bright one.
Incidentally, Lewis County residents who value state of the art facilities as a potential benefit in providing education have a lot to be happy about these days.
With the Centralia school bond passing, many children in the Hub City will have brand new learning environments. Likewise, the Chehalis School District is already moving dirt as it plans to build its own new schools after getting the approval and funding of voters.
In years ahead, graduates of Twin Cities high schools who choose to attend Centralia College will have a leg up on many of their predecessors, at least in terms of consistent access to infrastructure that supports today’s technology and provides safety against modern threats.
We look forward to celebrating the completion of the college’s master plan, when the dream will truly become a reality.
