Construction on Austin Community College's 98-acre Elgin Campus is about 85 percent complete and is expected to be finished in late spring, ACC officials said Jan. 24.

The Elgin Campus, located at 1501 W. Hwy. 290, will be the first community college in Bastrop County and will have capacity for about 1,500 students, according to the ACC website.

"The Elgin Campus will create convenient college opportunities for residents in Elgin, all of Bastrop County, Manor and beyond," said Alexis Patterson Hanes, ACC's senior public information coordinator. "The campus's workforce programs, including sustainable agriculture entrepreneurship and veterinary technician, align with the community's needs and will connect residents to growing industries in the greater Elgin area."

Construction on the campus began in late 2011. Upon completion, it will include a learning lab with free tutoring, online and on-site library services, science and computer labs, a student commons area and a bookstore.

The campus will offer courses in general education, workforce training and foundation skills programs for those who are not yet college-ready, according to ACC. The cost of the project is about $27 million in revenue bonds, Patterson Hanes said.

She said classes will begin in the fall, and students may register online in late spring. ACC is scheduled to have a college fair at the new campus May 18, she said.