Kishwaukee College soon will have a new facility that will create additional indoor space and allow access to updated technology available to students.

The Kishwaukee College Conference Center, which will be attached to the south side of the existing building, will open in August and will give the college and area businesses a new facility to hold meetings. The conference center also will be the new home for the business and industrial development center.

“Our staff is anxious to move in,” said Jeanette Crum, director of the business and development center. “We are looking forward to moving in, and I am excited that it’s on schedule.”

The facility will cost about $21 million and will be paid for through local tax dollars. The money also will be used for a computer center, a building for diesel powered technology, a therapeutic massage center and additional classrooms.

The conference center will include a 280-seat auditorium, a 272-person dining/meeting room, a 75-seat tiered training hall and a 140-person multi-purpose room, Carroll said.

The new building also will include six breakout rooms that will be located off the training hall and a kitchen that will be available for catering.

“The purpose is to help students in the district and to serve the community,” said Dale Carroll, dean of business and technology and project manager at KCC.

The conference center also is intended to be used by local businesses if they should need space. Because of the downturn in the economy, Crum hopes to partner up with other groups to use the facility.

“We hope to share the conference center with businesses and industries in the community,” Crum said.

The construction of the center started in November 2000 and should be completed in July, a month before the academic year begins.

The process to schedule events for the center currently is in progress.