(FORT WAYNE) - Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne has broken ground on a new Nursing and Health Sciences Building that is expected to open in January 2028.
College officials announced the timeline during a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the 50,000-square-foot facility, which will be located on Ivy Tech's North Campus near Stellhorn and St. Joe roads.
According to Ivy Tech, the building is designed to expand enrollment capacity, modernize healthcare training and strengthen the region's healthcare workforce pipeline.
The facility will include simulation labs, patient care suites, collaborative learning spaces and updated classrooms for students pursuing healthcare-related careers.
Ivy Tech President Marty Pollio said most students who attend the college remain in Indiana after graduation.
"At Ivy Tech, 95 percent of the students stay here in Indiana," Pollio said. "The students who will be benefiting from this new facility are from northeast Indiana and will remain in this area after graduation, serving local healthcare needs and impacting our community."
The Nursing and Health Sciences Building is part of Ivy Tech's "Reinvest, Reinvent, Revitalize" capital improvement project.
The nearly $70 million, three-phase initiative is designed to expand access to programs including nursing and increase enrollment capacity. Over the next six years, Ivy Tech estimates the project will create space for nearly 3,000 additional students, representing an enrollment increase of about 35 percent.
College officials said they are also working to raise $7 million in community support for the project.
In addition to expanding academic programs, the broader project is intended to improve navigation between Ivy Tech's Fort Wayne locations, including its campuses near Coliseum Boulevard and St. Joe Road.