The Carol Stream Community Education Center, located at 500 N. Kuhn Road in Carol Stream, is the latest addition to College of DuPage’s off-campus centers.

The new center is the result of two years of planning and dreaming. The process began when the Village of Carol Stream donated land to the Fire Protection District to build a new fire station. The Fire Protection District then donated the old fire station and adjacent land to C.O.D., which invested $3 million to remodel, furnish and equip the center. The Village of Carol Stream provided $250,000 to fund a large portion of the center’s technology needs.

With 12,000 square feet of space, the center includes two computer classrooms and one open computer lab. There are two classrooms for credit and non-credit courses, one multi-purpose science lab and a community meeting space for up to 200 people from the Village of Carol Stream and village-recognized organizations.

Construction started on Jan. 13, 2004, with interior building demolition. Site demolition was ongoing during March and April. At the same time, underground plumbing, electrical and demolition of the exterior masonry were being completed. The fire sprinkler main trunk lines and HVAC ductwork mains and spirals were installed during April.

During the first week of May, metal stud framing of the classroom and office area, concrete and steel frames for exterior screen walls, and the site plumbing on the west side were completed. Trenching for the site electrical has just begun. The anticipated completion for the center is fall 2004.

In September, the contractor, EVS Construction, completed punch list items. Facilities Planning and Construction staff is working with the Village of Carol Stream to obtain a final Certificate of Occupancy.

The Carol Stream Community Education Center opened on October 11, 2004 for classes. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on October 18, 2004.