Conceptual designs of Hendrick Center, athletic field shared with RCC Trustees

HAMLET — Preliminary, conceptual designs of the Hendrick Center for Automotive Training coming to Richmond Community College was shared with their Board of Trustees Tuesday afternoon.

The partnership between Hendrick Automotive Group and RCC was announced in June of 2022. The automotive technician program will be modeled after RCC’s Electric Lineman program, which provides a solid foundation of skills and training within a short span of time. Automotive technician students likewise will complete the intense, accelerated program in 16 weeks and be qualified to go to work immediately and begin their careers in the automotive industry.

“The benefit to the community is it begins to meet the growing need for automotive technicians across the region, as vehicles become increasingly complex and the current skilled workforce is aging,” shared RCC President Dr. Dale McInnis in an email. “The Hendrick Automotive Group and Mr. Hendrick are investing in this partnership because they see the need for a high-quality, short-term program for entry-level technicians that build a lucrative and satisfying career.”

The Hendrick Family Foundation is making a $500,000 donation to the development of the educational center. The Richmond Community College Foundation is matching that donation, and the Foundation for the Carolinas is donating $250,000. Both of the latter donations are in honor of Russell Bennett, and the center will include a memorial wall to him. The State of NC has contributed an additional $5 million.

RCC Executive Vice President/CFO Brent Barbee said that the building will consist of two classrooms, along with tree bays of garage space. In one area, they may have a mobile lift to raise up vehicles, and it could be easily moved.

The center will be located on the backside of the RCC campus in Hamlet, adjacent to the Condor building. It will be situated on the back three rows of the back parking lot, across from the amphitheater.

When the project was first announced, it was for a 15,000 square foot facility. McInnis said that with rising construction costs ($400 per square foot), they are now budgeting for a 10,000 square foot building at $6 million.

McInnis added that they will retain the potential for future expansion if money comes available later on. There is an estimated groundbreaking in the summer or fall of 2024, with a completion date in the winter of 2025. There will be an enrollment of 24 students in each cohort of this program.

Barbee stressed that the Hendrick group has not yet approved of these designs. McInnis said that as long as the board approves of the general direction of the project, they will sit down with all stakeholders to develop a path forward.

In addition to the Hendrick Center will be a 160-foot long, 100-foot wide athletic field for RCC students. It will not be a regulation soccer field, but will be a site for expanded Physical Education classes at the college.

The regulation field would be in the location of a current five-hole disc golf course running along a lake. Barbee said that the entire field wouldn’t be fenced in, but a fence may be created parallel to the water to prevent any objects leaving the field and going into the water. A small storage facility would also be added near the field.

A question was raised concerning previous plans to extend a second entrance and exit into the RCC campus that would connect to College Drive.

“In the future, if there is sufficient funding, there is enough room between the [planned athletic field and the back of the cafe] two if that is a direction the board would move in,” Barbee said. “This doesn’t preclude that.”

ADW Architects out of Charlotte completed the conceptual designs for the Hendrick Center and the athletic field.