NEAR HWY. 152 AND PLATTE PURCHASE
At its February meeting, the Platte County R-3 Board of Education approved the recommended purchase of an 18.23 acre site for the future Northland Workforce Development Center (a $60 million project to create a new, state-of-the-art career center at a centralized location for Northland Career Center’s Northland consortium).
The site is just north of the district’s current 86 acre property near Hwy. 152 and Platte Purchase Road and met the requirements and key considerations for the future center’s goals.
School officials said the total purchase price is $2.25 million, with a down payment of $250,000. A donation of $125,000 has been made to the project campaign as the local match. The capital campaign team is seeking $30 million in public and private funding to match the $30 million that has been granted from the State of Missouri.
The Platte County R-3 School District’s new $60 million Northland Workforce Development Center recently received a $30 million grant from the State of Missouri, and a capital campaign is currently underway to raise the remaining $30 million in funding. It was also recently announced that Hunt Midwest will contribute $2 million to the project, representing the first private contribution to the campaign.
“We would like to congratulate the district on receiving the initial grant for this project, as it is a critical first step in making the vision for the Northland Workforce Development Center a reality,” says Tom McVey, a director of business development at Clark & Enersen who is serving as the community liaison for the project. “As our local communities continue to struggle with an ongoing workforce shortage, it is more important than ever to provide high school students and adult learners with the education and skills they need for career readiness and advancement.”
The current Northland Career Center (NCC) in Platte City serves a consortium of more than 17,000 high school students across Clay and Platte Counties and continues to see significant growth, with current and projected future enrollment exceeding the facility’s 460-student capacity. This has forced the NCC to turn away hundreds of potential students each year who are interested in pursuing a career in an important trade. There are also proximity-related challenges, as the facility’s current location is not easily accessible for schools and communities in the surrounding counties.
These challenges also present an opportunity for NCC to continue to grow and fulfill its mission of providing workforce advancement and new career opportunities through the creation of the new Northland Workforce Development Center (NWDC). Clark & Enersen programmed and will design the NWDC in collaboration with the Platte County R-3 School District, with JE Dunn serving as the construction manager.
School officials say it will be a landmark facility in the region, centrally located, approximately 500 feet from the county line. This 18.23 acre site along Platte Purchase Road just north of 152 Highway in the Northland will be located among thriving business and residential areas. This will improve access to the campus and reduce commute times, which is often a barrier for those seeking to learn through focused career-readiness programs.
“[We have] heard time and time again about workforce shortages with many references specifically towards skilled trades. We wanted to design a facility that would become a long-term solution and the second iteration of Northland Career Center (NCC),” says Brian Noller, director of community, school, and business partnerships for the Platte County R-3 School District. “Now our next journey starts as we attempt to raise the matching funds to make this vision a reality. We couldn’t be more excited to begin that journey with Clark & Enersen and JE Dunn as our architectural and construction partners!”
The expanded facility will have the capacity to support over 900 high school students during the day — nearly two times the number it can currently hold — and it will also provide Metropolitan Community College with the ability to offer weekend and evening classes for working adults.
The NWDC will feature 10 distinct industry academies focused on high-skill and high-wage occupations, and it will support approximately 25 student-desired programs. The 10 core industries include:
