Pictured from left: Richard Turner, mayor, Township of Weehawken; Eliu Rivera, Chairman Pro Tempore, Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders; HCCC President Dr. Glen Gabert; Dr. Paula P. Pando, HCCC Vice President of the North Hudson Center and Student Affairs; U.S. Rep. Albio Sires; Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise; Hudson County Clerk Barbara Netchert; William J. Netchert, Esq., Chair, HCCC Board of Trustees; U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez; Dr. Timothy Brennan, Jr., Hudson County Executive Superintendent of Schools and HCCC Trustee; Dawn Zimmer, mayor, City of Hoboken; Hudson County Freeholder Jeffrey Dublin; and Christopher F. Irizarry, Commissioner of Department of Recreation, Parks and Public Property, City of Union City.

The $28,165,000 structure will include: Enrollment, Registrar and Bursar’s offices; areas specially designed for testing, tutoring and counseling; computer labs and a media center; language and science labs and art studios; library and bookstore; student lounge as well as seminar and other large common spaces for events; and faculty and staff offices. The new Center will have a glass-enclosed pedestrian bridge that will connect the building with the neighboring NJ Transit station. Students and visitors will enter on the main level to a soaring three-story lobby. The plans also call for an outdoor courtyard and rooftop terrace, and “green” features such as a photovoltaic system, rainwater harvesting tanks, daylight and occupancy sensors, low-flow fixtures, and high-efficiency mechanical equipment.

In his remarks to several dozen area elected and educational officials, Senator Menendez referred to Hudson County Community College’s development under Dr. Gabert’s administration. He said the College has become a threshold institution for so many people, and has been “transformed into an engine of opportunity.”

This Fall, Hudson County Community College’s enrollment skyrocketed to 9,300 students, and over the past 16 years the enrollment has increased by 143%. In anticipation of this growth, the College has been implementing a $147.7 million physical development plan, which has included a Culinary Arts Institute/Conference Center, a building that houses enrollment and administration offices, and new classroom buildings in locations on the College’s Journal Square campus. Later this year, the College will open a “Welcome Center” with computer stations at the Journal Square PATH Station, the development of the entire block on Sip Avenue (65-87 Sip) to include classrooms and a landmark library, and a classroom center in the southern part of the County.

“We are committed to not only serving more students, but to serving more students better, with the studies and programs that will assist in having fulfilling and richer lives,” Dr. Gabert said.

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