Lake Area Technical College unveils ambitious 10‑year Master Campus Plan, estimates $100–$120 million cost

President Sanderson, president of Lake Area Technical College, presented the college’s 10‑year Master Campus Plan (through 2035) to the Watertown School District board, outlining phased construction and renovation projects aimed at expanding technical lab space and student services.

The proposal seeks to align campus facilities with regional workforce needs and grow enrollment. "The estimate, to construct facilities to expand our opportunity to grow our graduate number and to address maintenance needs across campus is ballpark somewhere in the $100 to $120,000,000 range," President Sanderson said. He told the board the plan is ambitious and will require multiple funding sources and sequencing to be feasible.

The plan emphasizes five phased projects and additional opportunistic projects that can occur in any order. Early-stage actions include replacing an aging maintenance/cold‑storage “red shed,” locating a centralized Student Services Center in the 500 Building, and relocating computer information systems programs into the Archway and the 900 Building to free space for renovation. A major proposed move is removing the 200 Building (built in 1987) and replacing it with a Public Safety Training Center to house programs such as medic/fire/rescue, law enforcement, an associate of social work, and childcare technician programs. The proposal also includes a Construction Trades Center, expanded aviation technical space, program hubs for student study and activities, and measures to improve campus safety (lighting, crosswalks, parking).

Sanderson said the plan is intended to support a long‑term enrollment target of about 3,400 students by the end of the 2030–2035 period, which the college estimates would increase annual graduates. He noted the recent record enrollment (2,707 students in January) and said the college seeks steady growth in both traditional‑age and adult students. On student fees and facility ownership, Sanderson explained that student maintenance fee structure will change after July 1: "$8 per credit at the state level after July 1 and $1 locally," with the $8 earmarked for state‑owned facilities and the $1 for locally owned buildings.

Sanderson described funding as the next step: the college must identify grant, state, and local funding sources and sequence projects according to availability. He said there is no finalized timeline and that costs will rise if projects are delayed. He stood by for board questions following the presentation; no formal board action on the plan was taken at the meeting.

The board and presenters emphasized that the plan balances new construction with deferred‑maintenance needs, and that private partnerships (for student housing) and state grants will be important to execution.

Next steps described by Sanderson include assembling funding scenarios, refining phasing, and coordinating with industry partners and donors to match program growth with labor market needs.