FERGUSON, Mo.— “Is this a cathedral or a manufacturing building, I can’t really tell,” St. Louis Community College Chancellor Dr. Jeff Pittman quipped ahead of a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony to christen the school’s newest building on the Florissant Valley campus.

The Advanced Manufacturing Center is the latest product of Prop R, an eight-cent tax levy passed by voters in 2021 to fund projects for the school’s campuses and satellite facilities in north and south St. Louis County, Wildwood, Kirkwood and the city of St. Louis

The $51.8 million, 96,000 square-foot building will put manufacturing, engineering, technology and technical trades along with business and accounting programs on the Ferguson campus all under one roof.

Among the new offerings are programs with access to new 3D printers and a new remote aircraft pilot certificate program.

"Our students will be immersed in real-world learning scenarios that build their confidence and their competence. But it's not just about preparing them for jobs. It's also about supporting their education and career goals, as well as helping them succeed by meeting their needs in and out of the classroom,” said Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, President of the Florissant Valley campus.

One of the facility's aims is to provide designated space for area high school students who are on campus earning dual credits. Where in the past the goal was to make sure those students were leaving with credits that could transfer to a four-year institutiion, a new focus is emerging that will line students up with career classes and more pathways directly into the workforce.

The space will also be the new home for the school’s partnership with Boeing, which for 18 years has done pre-employment training with students that has turned into a pipeline for more than 1,100 to work as engineers and mechanics for the company’s defense aircraft products that are built here.

“This new facility will enhance our collaboration with St. Louis Community College and the pre employment program providing additional lab space…classrooms, hands-on training for students aspiring to build their careers in manufacturing. I expect our workforce pipeline in St. Louis to expand significantly because of this advanced manufacturing center," said James Dewees, Boeing’s vice president of manufacturing and safety, air dominance division.

The partnership takes on new significance in light of the company’s announced $1.8 billion expansion in Berkeley along with news from the White House and the Pentagon that Boeing was awarded the contract to build the F-47 next generation fighter.

“This win will continue Boeing’s legacy of building and enabling the world’s best fighters and it helps secure our future as Missouri’s largest manufacturer for decades to come," said Dewees.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, who like his predecessor, Mike Parson, has supported workforce development efforts, said it was local voters who deserve credit.

“When I’m talking to those businesses about why St. Louis region is a good place to be, because you can say the voters said we want to invest in opportunities for our kids in career and technical education…we’re building, we’re delivering and we’re making that happen," added Kehoe.