IVCC to develop $8 million ag facility

Illinois Valley Community College is developing an agricultural facility and wants it annexed into Oglesby.

Monday, the Oglesby City Council voted 5-0 to send the college’s request to the plan commission – the first of a few hurdles at the city’s end needed to realize the project. In petitions submitted to Oglesby, the college said the two parcels would be used for “additional education services to teach modern agricultural practices.”

Tracy Morris, IVCC president, said the facility, about 10,000 square feet, is to be called the Agriculture Education Center. It is to be located on south end of campus by the barn and will feature an innovation lab, classrooms plus space for conferences and a student lounge.

The facility will cost just less than $8 million and IVCC has procured a $3 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration. The remaining sum would not, she emphasized, be funded through a tuition hike.

“We would not increase student tuition to pay for this building,” Morris said. “(Former president) Jerry Corcoran and the board planned very, very well for this and we have several options to pay for this building.”

The project is in the final planning phases and site work is being done presently. Morris said IVCC hopes to break ground in spring 2024 and have students in the building by autumn 2025.

“Oglesby has been a great neighbor for IVCC and we look forward to continuing those partnerships,” Morris said.