PRESQUE ISLE — Northern Maine Community College has announced that J.P. Martin & Sons Construction Corp. of Caribou has been awarded a $6 million contract to build the new wellness center addition and to renovate existing space for a new student center on campus.
“We’re pleased a local firm won the bid which will have a significant impact on the local economy over the next year. But more importantly, when this facility is complete, it will focus attention and offer another tool to build a healthier and more competitive workforce for Aroostook County,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “Not only will the students and staff take advantage of this state-of-the-art complex, but it will also be made available to the public.”
J.P. Martin & Sons, which was chosen from among nine qualified bidders for the project, is a family-owned general contracting business that specializes in construction and renovation of commercial, industrial and institutional buildings and residential complexes. Construction work began Monday and an official ground-breaking ceremony will take place later this spring.
The Rodney Smith Wellness Center will feature a fitness area, exercise room and locker rooms. The Akeley Student Center will be located in a renovated area of the A.K. Christie and John L. Martin buildings. It will include the health center, the college store and an office for student organizations. The centers will serve as the new main entrance to the Christie Complex. In addition, historical artifacts from the Presque Isle Air Museum will be showcased in the centers honoring the connection between the former Presque Isle Air Base and the college.
The project is being funded primarily from a private donation made to the NMCC Foundation. An additional $1 million is being raised by donations from local businesses and industries, the NMCC Foundation and the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges.
