CONCORD, N.C. – Increasing enrollment and demand for education and workforce preparation are creating a need for additional instructional space at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s South Campus. The College is seeking funding to add educational capacity and better serve students, employers and the future workforce needs of Cabarrus County.
Cabarrus County voters will consider a separate $60 million Cabarrus County Community College bond on the Nov. 3 ballot. The bond would provide approximately $52.5 million for a new, approximately 70,000-square-foot Workforce Innovation Center at South Campus and $7.5 million for renovations to Building S201, the first building constructed at South Campus in 1990.
The Rowan-Cabarrus bond is one of two separate education bond questions voters will consider. A separate $340 million bond would support projects for Cabarrus County Schools and Kannapolis City Schools. Voters will make a separate decision on each bond.
The Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees has adopted a unanimous resolution in support of the bond referendum and the proposed South Campus projects. The resolution recognizes the need for additional educational capacity and the role Rowan-Cabarrus plays in workforce preparation, student success and the long-term needs of Cabarrus County.
Since 2020, Rowan-Cabarrus enrollment from Cabarrus County has increased 27.7%, compared with a 10.6% increase in the county’s population during the same period. Enrollment from Cabarrus County has increased about 2.6 times faster than the population, adding demand for educational space and workforce capacity at South Campus.
The proposed projects would:
- Construct a new approximately 70,000-square-foot facility to add educational and workforce capacity at South Campus.
- Renovate Building S201, the first building constructed at South Campus in 1990.
- Provide flexible, technology-forward classrooms and instructional environments.
- Support career preparation, workforce education and employer partnerships.
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Provide space that can adapt as educational approaches, technology and workforce needs change.
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Serve students across multiple pathways, including dual enrollment, credentials, careers and professional advancement.
“Education changes lives, strengthens families and builds community,” said Rowan-Cabarrus President Dr. Carol S. Spalding. “As more Cabarrus County residents look to Rowan-Cabarrus for credentials, careers, transfer opportunities and professional advancement, we need educational environments that can support them. These projects would provide additional capacity while giving the College greater flexibility to respond as technology and workforce needs change.”
The proposed Workforce Innovation Center would provide additional space for education, career preparation, employer partnerships, entrepreneurship and services that connect people with opportunities. The facility is being planned to adapt as instructional methods, workplace technologies and workforce needs change.
Current planning includes flexible classrooms and instructional areas, workforce education labs, career and employer resources, interview and recruiting space, small-business and entrepreneurship support, apprenticeship and work-based learning, technology-enabled instructional environments and digital content creation space for faculty and staff. The final mix of spaces, technology and operational assignments will continue to be refined through the design process.
Approximately $7.5 million of the $60 million bond would support renovations to Building S201. The project would update existing educational space and building systems so the facility can better support students alongside the proposed Workforce Innovation Center.
The proposed projects are part of a long-term effort to address educational and workforce needs in Cabarrus County. Land for the new facility was purchased in 2018, and design funding was allocated in 2025. If voters authorize the bond, the project would move into the construction phase without delay.
“The Board of Trustees has spent considerable time reviewing the College’s facility needs and the opportunities these projects could create for students and employers,” said Rowan-Cabarrus Board of Trustees Chair Cynthia Mynatt. “The Board’s resolution demonstrates its support for ensuring Rowan-Cabarrus has the capacity and resources needed to continue serving Cabarrus County well into the future.”
For every $100,000 of assessed property value, the estimated tax impact of the Rowan-Cabarrus bond is approximately $7.50 per year once the full amount has been borrowed. Because bond debt would be issued as projects move forward, the impact would generally be phased in over time. Property owners can estimate the potential impact for their property using Cabarrus County’s General Obligation Bond Impact Estimator at gobondcalculator.cabarruscounty.us.
Cabarrus County will also host upcoming GO Bond Information Sessions and Q&A events for residents who want to learn more about the proposed bonds. Sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Swanee Theatre, 200 West Ave., Kannapolis, and Monday, Oct. 26, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Harrisburg Library Branch, 201 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg. Each session will include an overview of the proposed bonds and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.
Rowan-Cabarrus will continue providing information about the proposed projects, bond funding and estimated tax impact ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
More information about the proposed Cabarrus County Community College bond is available at rccc.edu/cabarrusbond.
