Photo by Liza Winkler

Photo by Liza Winkler

Several local officials gathered Oct. 15 to celebrate the groundbreaking of Lone Star College System's new Creekside Center at the corner of West New Harmony Trail and Kuykendahl Road.

"We place our centers strategically and make sure that all of our community has reasonable access," LSCS Chancellor Steve Head said. "What you're going to be seeing here is not only workforce training but the academic piece of it too. [Students are] going to be ready for either academic transfer or the workforce. It's as simple as that."

Offering specialized workforce training, the Creekside Center is expected to span 15 acres with 85,000 square feet of space to accommodate an estimated 3,500 students, said Lee Ann Nutt, acting president of LSC–Tomball. Under the management of the Tomball campus, the Creekside Center is slated to open its doors to students beginning January 2016.

The new center will offer several certification and associate degree programs, including petroleum data technology, e-commerce programming, accounting and business marketing and management.

"We'll look at expanding our accounting program with an emphasis on oil and gas," Nutt said. "Many exciting workforce programs [will] enhance the area. We know Houston is the energy capital of the world and that we have a future of endless hope, economic prosperity and pride."

In addition, U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady addressed the crowd at the groundbreaking event. Brady said the Creekside Center will significantly expand education and workforce opportunities for students in the community.

"If you look at some of the training at this center—networking, energy, technology, e-commerce, marketing, legal secretary, human resources, accounting—this center is poised to be an education training center for the 21st century," Brady said.

The Creekside Center was originally part of the $500 million LSCS bond that failed to receive voter approval in May 2013 and will not be included in this year's bond package. Head said the Creekside Center is funded through revenue bonds from the system's operating budget.

Voters will be able to determine the fate of the system's proposed $485 million bond package on Nov. 4.