Featured photo: A rendering of what the new The Prahl Innovation Center is expected to look like.
(FLINT, Mich., Dec. 18, 2023) – Mott Community College (MCC) will receive $12.5 million in capital outlay funding from the State of Michigan for renovations to the Marie Prahl College Center building. The funding is part of the supplemental spending bill signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Dec. 18.
The $12.5 million will support a future-focused and technology-driven renewal and renovation project of the existing Marie Prahl College Center building, first built in 1971. Total renovation costs are estimated to be $32.5 million. The capital outlay funds will be combined with a $12.5 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation awarded in 2022, and an additional $650,000 in congressionally directed spending with support from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.
“Mott Community College continues to lead the way in terms of implementing innovative programming and working towards digital equity, all while maintaining our laser-like focus on helping our students succeed,” said MCC President Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea.
She added: “The Prahl Innovation Center project will turn a half-century-old structure into a vibrant, collaborative, and high-tech space where our faculty, staff and students will have access to the newest modes of delivery for student services, teaching and learning, collaboration, and career exploration.”
With the completion of the project, the newly re-named Prahl Innovation Center will be repurposed to include three new hubs for virtual navigation, cyber security and computer repair, and future careers. The futuristic Prahl Innovation Center will welcome virtual and in-person students, faculty, staff, business owners, entrepreneurs and speakers from around the world.
The building will feature the latest technologies to support teaching and learning, including virtual reality classrooms, artificial intelligence applications, and holograms that answer questions and direct students and others to services and resources at MCC. Students will have the opportunity to engage with local, regional, state, national, and international companies, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, all while acquiring knowledge and skills that will lead to employment in high-demand, high-wage careers.
Mott Community College is a place of purpose and possibility. Mott is committed to excellence in education and offering services that cultivate student success and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural community. With 100 academic and occupational degree and certificate programs, Mott helps students prepare for an ever-changing world. Through university transfer agreements, high-demand associates degree programs and one-year certification programs, Mott help ensure that all its students find their path.
