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Wayne County Community College outlines plan to create small Harper Woods campus
Summary
College trustees presented schematic plans to repurpose a former dialysis center, a retail building and an existing University Center into a consolidated campus with workforce programs and dual-enrollment space; staff said detailed plans and bid documents will return to council in April 2026.
Roy Edmonds, who identified himself as a trustee for District 1, told the Harper Woods City Council that Wayne County Community College intends to create a more cohesive campus at its University Center location in Harper Woods by repurposing nearby retail and clinical buildings.
"The buildings that are there, you're familiar with. Dialysis center, that will be repurposed," Edmonds said, introducing an associate he described as Dennis. The presenters showed schematic designs and described plans to reskin and adapt existing structures so they read as a single campus rather than a "hodgepodge."
Dennis (introduced by Edmonds) described three programs planned for the former dialysis building: dialysis technician training, ophthalmology and a medical lab technician program, and said the expanded Center would accommodate continuing education, academic offerings and dual-enrollment partnerships with Chandler Park Academy High School and Harper Woods High School. "We're gonna have the dialysis program… ophthalmology program… medical lab technician," he said.
City staff and council asked clarifying questions about timing, impacts on current tenants and community use of the auditorium. Presenters said work is in predesign and schematic phases and that more-detailed design and bid documents will be brought back for council review in April 2026; commissioning was presented as targeted for spring 2027. Edmonds and college representatives emphasized that the auditorium and community uses would continue.
Why it matters: The proposal would expand local postsecondary and workforce training in Harper Woods and make college programming more accessible to residents, while involving city oversight of construction scheduling and community amenities. The plan also modifies local commercial property uses and relies on phased construction to avoid disrupting ongoing college operations.
Council response and next steps: Council members voiced general support and asked that detailed plans return to a future meeting. Staff said the design and documentation phase will proceed and that the council will be asked to review trade solicitations and construction documents before awards are made.
The presenters asked for council input and signaled a formal set of documents will be available for council review in April 2026.
