Illinois Central College broke ground on a new Sustainability Center at its East Peoria campus. The 26-thousand-square-foot facility will include space for renewable energy, architecture and H-VAC programs. Bruce Budde is ICC’s vice president of finance. He says the center will also allow area contractors to demonstrate ‘green’ building practices to the public:
“We think if we have a teaching facility like this a development type facility, you can out some of these technologies in place and see that they are very practical, and they actually have a long-run financial benefit not only just the green and environmental benefit as well.”
The center is expected to be complete next fall. Residents and area workers can also use the new center to learn ways to install sustainable building options like solar or geothermal energy in their own homes. Funding for the $7.5 million Sustainability Center is coming from federal bonds, state grant and college reserves.