Construction has begun on the new $45.4 million Bedford County Higher Education Center in Shelbyville, the Tennessee Board of Regents Office of Facilities Development announced. TCAT Skills Labs.

With a projected completion by late 2025, the center will be the new main campus of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Shelbyville. American Constructors Inc. of Brentwood was awarded the construction contract and Bauer Askew Architecture of Nashville is the project’s design firm.

The project includes two new state-of-the-art buildings:

• A two-story academic building will house general academic classrooms, student services, administrative offices, a student commons and eatery, and a multi-use atrium space on the main floor.  The second floor will include more general classrooms, faculty office suites, labs for the college’s nursing, computer-aided design (CAD) technology, and office technology programs, and related support spaces.
• A one-story industrial workshop building that will include eight classrooms and skills labs for the college’s automotive technology, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR), industrial electricity, industrial maintenance, machine tool technology, and welding technology programs, and related support spaces.

The buildings will flank a center courtyard with landscaping to create a traditional college campus environment. The project also includes parking and other landscaping.

The design enables future expansion of the two initial structures, plus additional buildings as needed on the 20-acre site, as TCAT Shelbyville expands its program offerings and to accommodate classes and programs offered by partnering colleges and universities.

“TCAT Shelbyville already has an excellent reputation for the quality of our career and technical education programs. Our faculty and staff look forward to the new state-of-the-art facilities and training equipment that will help our students achieve even greater levels of success,” said TCAT Shelbyville President Jimmy L. Wright.

“The partnership between Bedford County and TCAT Shelbyville has always been focused on providing learning and career opportunities for all of the residents, including those served by the college from Franklin, Marshall, Moore and Lincoln counties. Students and adult learners of all ages are not confined to one location and the new Center will only be the next step on their journey to an amazing career. We are excited about the future growth in our region and where the partnership will take us next,” Wright said.

Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings said the project is made possible with the support of Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, who provided state funding, and the City of Shelbyville and Bedford County, who purchased the land and donated it for the new campus.

“The project will enable TCAT Shelbyville to grow and deliver the career and technical education that the people of Bedford and surrounding counties need to start rewarding careers or advance in their current fields,” Tydings said. “We are especially grateful to Rep. Pat Marsh and Sen. Shane Reeves for their strong and consistent support for the project.”