The Louisiana Community and Technical College System Facilities Corporation awarded the design-build team of Thompson Construction Co. Inc. and Duplantis Design Group the contract to build the new campus development for Fletcher.
Spread over 32 acres of state-owned property along La. Highway 311 near U.S. Highway 90 in Schriever, the campus will feature an 89,000 square feet complex that will house a new library, academic resource learning centre, computer labs, common rooms, meeting rooms, and classrooms for arts and sciences, business programs, drafting, design, and integrated production technologies.
According to Fletcher Chancellor Travis Lavigne, the new facility will offer expansion for additional programs to handle approximately 20% student growth rate per fall semester. He added that in future, the facility could span over more than 74 acres. The initial project is scheduled for completion before the 2012 fall semester.
Fletcher’s development is part of Act 391, which is a facilities project that was passed by the state legislature in 2007. It includes 23 projects for 14 community and technical colleges as part of a $173.7 million bond package.
The design-build approach was selected for the Fletcher development because of its cost controls and time effectiveness. Design-build teams blend architect and builder working together on a project from start to finish.
Fletcher Technical Community College began as a trade school in 1951.
