Virginia Western breaks ground on multimillion-dollar STEM facility

College is hoping to complete state-of-the-art facility by 2019.

ROANOKE, Va. – Virginia Western Community College broke ground on a multimillion-dollar campus addition on Tuesday.

Construction on a massive state-of-the-art STEM science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, facility will begin soon.

Virginia Western says the $30 million project will become the largest and most technologically advanced facility on campus.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, school leaders said they hope the facility will help drive Roanoke's economy and attract more students to the college.

"I feel that the opportunity that will be held within these four walls are basically endless. I just look forward to brining industry and the community into our academic environment and working to solve problems," said Amy White, dean of STEM at Virginia Western.

Virginia Western's president says the school is hoping to complete the STEM facility, along with a parking garage and additional green space, by the spring of 2019.