Construction of a new technology center at Williston State College has been on schedule and the planning and design phase of two other projects continues.

When all three projects are finished, WSC will have added a new technical center, a dormitory and science lab renovations and expansions at a combined cost of just over $18 million.

Ground was broken on the first of the three projects in October, the WSC Career and Technical Education building. Workforce Dean David Richter said construction is going well for the $6 million facility and work is still on track to be completed by the end of summer.

"They've got the rods in the ground and they're supposed to start putting the skin on the building this week," said Richter.

Key to the project staying on schedule was getting the steel rods into the ground before winter set in. The rods were put in by the end of November, just before winter weather finally arrived in early December. Richter said the structure will be a bit different than an artist's rendering of the building that was released in October.

"We had to change some of it up because of cost issues," said Richter.

He said the previous cost estimate had been off, so they had to make adjustments as to the design and what will be included in the completed building.

Despite this, Richter said the new building will still offer the new technology and trade programs to WSC and area high school students promised when the project began.

Richter said watching the building go up is also an impressive sight.

"You don't really realize how big the structure is until it goes up," said Richter.

The CTE building is to be approximately 60,000 square feet.

Meanwhile, planning for the college's new dormitory is still in the works. WSC athletic director and Dorm Committee Chairman Hunter Berg said they're close to having plans done, but more work still remains.

"There's not really too much new to report; we're trying to put together a cost estimate," said Berg.

Having a cost estimate allows the committee to determine what should and shouldn't be included in the $9.875 million facility. Berg said one of the major items they are trying to determine whether or not to keep is a geothermal heating system.

"At this point we're going with the geothermal system. That could change depending on the cost, but we like that option as of right now," said Berg.

Berg said geothermal heating systems are more expensive in upfront cost than a traditional boiler heating system, but are more energy efficient, last longer and tend to pay for themselves in the long run.

If planning continues to stay on schedule, Berg expects the project to be put up for bids soon, with construction set to begin this spring and end in summer 2011.

The planning process of the science lab renovation project is also ongoing.

WSC's Lance Olson, chairman of the science lab renovation committee, said planning continues, but like the dorm project is getting closer to completion. He said they're still figuring out the layout of labs while making sure it stays within their $2.2 million budget.

"We're still working on the minutiae of the layout and design, but I think we're right on track," said Olson.

The renovations also include four new science labs, four new faculty offices, and 1,000 square-foot glassed in area on the second floor.

Olson said they'll be wrapping up the planning stage soon and he hopes the bid process will take place in March.

The science lab project, if it remains on schedule, is to break ground in the spring, with work being completed in either spring 2011 or in time for fall 2011 classes at the latest.