New MCC facility to deliver skill, trade programs

Metropolitan Community College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 2, for its new MCC-Blue River East building, just east of the main Blue River campus on 78 Highway in Independence.

The 12:30 p.m. ceremony will be held in person for a limited number of attendees and streamed live as well.

The $10.2 million facility, expected to be completed in fall 2021, will house MCC’s commercial driver’s license (CDL), utility lineman and forklift/warehousing programs. The 25,500-square-foot building will also be home to the Great Plains OSHA Education Center. 

“MCC is committed to being the first and last stop for students who want to learn a skill or trade,” says MCC Chancellor Kimberly Beatty. “With facilities like the new Blue River East building, we are creating the best possible opportunities for our students to learn, but we are also serving the community, building Kansas City’s workforce and making a positive impact on the local economy.”

The indoor utility-pole field, state-of-the art OSHA training lab, and cargo bay for operation of forklifts or other large vehicles set the facility apart from training environments typically found at other educational institutions, MCC-Blue River President Thomas Meyer said.

The building will also house several modern classroom spaces as well as storage for vehicles used in Blue River’s police and fire academies.