By 1808Delaware
The Delaware Area Career Center marked a major step forward on April 16, breaking ground on a 100,000-square-foot renovation and expansion project designed to serve students, adult learners, employers, and the broader Delaware County community for decades to come.
The ceremony brought together community leaders, business partners, board members, students, and staff to recognize both DACC’s history and its next phase of growth.
“This groundbreaking is not the beginning,” said DACC Superintendent Jay Poroda. “It is the next chapter of a story we have been writing together as a community since 1974.”
More Space For More Students
The project includes 50,000 square feet of new construction and 50,000 square feet of renovated space. When complete, the expanded campus will allow DACC to grow programs in Cosmetology and Health Sciences, launch new offerings in Electrical Trades and Practical Nursing, and create learning spaces that can adapt as regional workforce needs continue to change.
The expansion comes after a decade of substantial enrollment growth. Since fiscal year 2015, DACC enrollment has increased by 94 percent, rising from 725 students to 1,408. That growth has placed increasing pressure on the district’s existing facilities.
“This expansion is an investment in every family in our community,” said Board of Education President Ted Backus, who has served on the DACC board for nearly two decades. “It means more students in and around Delaware County will have access to the programs they need. It means more adults will find a path forward here. It means DACC will remain the community hub it has always been and become an even stronger one.”
A Workforce Engine For Delaware County
For more than fifty years, DACC has served as a link between education and employment in central Ohio. Its students go on to work in hospitals, construction sites, fire stations, salons, restaurants, and businesses across the region.
That role extends beyond high school students. Elementary students visit the campus to begin imagining possible careers. Adults come to DACC in the evenings and on weekends to gain new skills or change career paths. Local employers partner with the district because many of their future workers are being trained there.
Students At The Center
The groundbreaking ceremony included remarks from Jen Fuller, Project Executive at Fanning-Howey; Eric Bull, President of Elford, Inc.; Board President Ted Backus; and Superintendent Jay Poroda. Nine student volunteers representing DACC programs and partner schools also took part in the ceremony, underscoring the purpose behind the project.
The expansion has involved a broad group of partners, including the DACC Board of Education, Treasurer Christopher Bell, construction team members Tom Marchetti, Dave Gilliam, and Brad Dement, Owner’s Representative Anne Frost of MCS Associates, Construction Manager at Risk Elford Construction, and architect Fanning-Howey.
Time To Build
For DACC leaders, the groundbreaking was both a celebration and a starting point.
“Our foundation is strong. Our plans are bold,” Poroda said. “And now, with gratitude, pride, and great anticipation, it is time to build.”
Photo: DACC
