“Purchasing this facility and property will enable us to expand opportunities for students over many years for a fraction of the cost of most facilities of this nature,” Superintendent Christie Whitbeck said. “The building’s manufacturing, lab, classroom and meeting space are extremely well suited for our rapidly expanding programs. It has been a pleasure to work with our mayor, city and county officials, business leaders and other stakeholders throughout this exciting process.”

The $5 million property and facilities was acquired by the Bryan-Brazos County Economic Development Foundation from BMI Defense Systems. Foundation members, District officials, the City of Bryan’s business council and other area stakeholders joined together to augment the work of a CTE steering committee that had previously determined the most efficient way to bolster Bryan ISD’s workforce training was to repurpose an existing top flight facility—the property on Mumford Road perfectly fit the bill.

The 119-acre site offers more than 35,000 square feet of lab/manufacturing/classroom space combined with nearly 15,000 square feet of office/research/meeting space, a pond, ample parking and other amenities that made the facility a turn-key and affordable solution to serve growing programs in CTE.

Enrollment in Bryan ISD’s CTE program continues to grow annually, and the District has long sought a home for career-ready, half-day training, particularly for juniors and seniors. In the months ahead, a CTE exploratory committee will meet with area stakeholders and students to determine future programming for the facility, but the property offers the ability to launch some in-demand programs almost immediately.

Welding, automotive technician and construction training could kick off in the facility as early as Fall 2018. A comprehensive plan will be developed to consider expanding programming offerings beginning in Fall 2019.