New NCTA building wins $8.7 million in funding from state

CURTIS -- A major challenge for the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture came to a positive finish on Tuesday when Gov. Dave Heineman approved the Legislature's $6.9 billion budget.

The 2009 -- 11 budget provides more than $8.7 million to build an urgently needed NCTA Education Center, although the project seemed in doubt as the state faced even bleaker revenue projections during the global economic slowdown in the days preceding the governor's signature.

A visit to the NCTA campus by Appropriations Committee Chairman Levon Heineman in August of 2007 revealed a critical need to replace antiquated space. Heineman came away from that visit with a new appreciation of what NCTA means to agriculture and the rural communities that serve it.

"I am so thankful that Senator Heidemann and the legislature understood that the NCTA campus facilities had to be improved to make the living/learning environment match the innovative rural enterprise ownership programs developed over the past three years. The education center is the central building block for a miraculous transformation that will occur during the next two years." said NCTA Dean Weldon Sleight.

The education building now will be built, but just a year ago the legislature added some stipulations to the funding of the new building that made the project seem like mission impossible. These included building a new residence hall and raising $1 million as part of the $9.7 million needed to construct the new education center.

This is when George Garlick and the City of Curtis stepped in. Garlick committed to build the residence hall, while the city permitted the college to move its athletic events to the Curtis Community Center. This allowed NCTA to remodel its gymnasium into a new student activity center. The Student Union opened in May.

The education center is set for completion in December 2011. The facility will house NCTA's Horticulture and Agronomy programs and contain classrooms, laboratories and an auditorium.

"A year ago many thought there was no way that little NCTA could come up with the partners necessary to make all the pieces fit together, but they did come together and as a result we have four new and remodeled facilities rather than one," says Sleight.

"The real heroes in all this are the agricultural organizations, Curtis and Frontier County businesses and individuals, alumni, friends, NCTA faculty and staff and the Legislators who saw an opportunity to revitalize Nebraska's rural communities through NCTA's 100 cow, 100 acre and the NCTA Business Builder programs that help rural youth return home as partners rather than hired hands."