The background
Lone Star College-Magnolia Center is a long-awaited project for the Magnolia community. The new campus was announced back in 2014, and a large portion of its timeline revolved around finding a location for it.
Soon after officials secured a location in 2019, the center's design was completed in 2022 and broke ground in June 2024. Classes are slated to begin this month.
LSCS Chancellor Mario Castillo said the center's opening was long overdue.
“It did take us way too long to get to this point, and as I always tell my staff, the best apology is changed behavior,” Castillo said. “ I promised you and this community it will take us no longer than 581 days before this place opens, and I'll tell you it only took 565 days for the building to be completed.”
The Magnolia community had a hand in the programs available on campus, as many of the career programs, such as emergency medical services, were chosen based on community feedback.
The details
According to a Jan. 13 news release from the college, the facility's features include:
- An 85,000-square-foot campus, constructed on 15 acres
- A mix of two-year transferable general education credits, associate degree programs and workforce-ready certificates in high-demand fields
- Emergency medical service professions program
- Library services
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and refrigeration training programs
