ITT Tech to get new building

When the 450 students and 50 staff members at ITT Technical Institute return from Christmas break, they’ll move into a brand-new building just west of the Spokane Valley Mall.

The 28,000-square-foot structure will allow ITT to keep staff and students together in one building, an improvement over the two buildings they currently use on Argonne Road, said the school’s director, Bill King.

“It’s all about location and a little bit more visibility,” King said. “We think the new facility will enhance our daytime attendance.”

The school, one of almost 80 nationwide, offers associates and bachelor’s degrees in computer-aided design, electronics, information technology, multimedia, network security, digital game entertainment and other fields. Most of the students attend classes in the evening, King said.

ITT has had a school in Spokane since 1985. In the last seven years, enrollment has grown to 450 from 250, King said.

“People are beginning to realize we need to be pro-education. People are coming to realize not everyone is destined to go to four-year colleges. There’s much more awareness in the last few years that there is a place for technical education,” King said. “In reality, the most important thing is to get an education in a place you feel comfortable.”

The new building will offer 17 classrooms, office space and 200 parking places. In its current location, King said, the school has been renting parking spaces from a nearby church.

Lydig Construction is building the $2.7 million structure on more than four acres, said Bob Bennie, manager of special projects for Lydig. The East Indiana College Group, a collection of investors made up of Lydig management, owns the building and will lease it to ITT, Bennie said. The building is scheduled to be finished by Dec. 1.