Facility supports STLCC Transformed initiative to bring collaborative learning and a fully-prepared pipeline of new employees to the St. Louis metropolitan area
St. Louis Community College (STLCC), facing growing student demand alongside pressing space limitations, created a plan to add capacity. The STLCC Transportation Education Center at the Forest Park campus, designed by FGMA, consolidates STLCC’s automotive technology, diesel technology, and professional truck driving programs under one roof. Once completed in Summer 2025, the Transportation Education Center will foster shared knowledge and expanded student capacity in a new, state-of-the-art facility.
The STLCC Transportation Education Center at the Forest Park campus will offer flexible classrooms with greater natural light
“Bringing the three programs under one roof allows the College to not only serve its students better, but also provides the City of St. Louis a pipeline of new employees prepared with the latest technologies to work and live in the community,” said Dr. Julie Fickas, Ed.D., president and chief academic officer at STLCC-Forest Park, at the groundbreaking ceremony in October.
Collaborative spaces, break areas and group workspaces throughout the Transportation Education Center are designed to allow for greater natural light and to facilitate a dynamic learning environment for both credit and non-credit students. Additionally, flexible classrooms and adaptable lobby areas double as a central hub for hosting events and classes for external organizations, strengthening ties with the local community.
Outside, a 36,000-square-foot fleet parking lot will be added along with repaving of the existing 193,000-square-foot truck driving lot to provide ample outdoor learning opportunities for hands-on training. Significant to the Transportation Education Center are dedicated labs equipped with bays specifically designed for both standard and electric vehicles along with diesel trucks, aligning with ever-evolving automotive and trucking industry requirements.
Adaptable lobby areas that double as event space will strengthen community ties
The Transportation Education Center is designed to meet the key goals of the STLCC Transformed initiative: put learning on display; prioritize student and faculty wellness, collaboration and success; celebrate a culture of curiosity and transparency; and allow for cross-pollination among traditional and non-traditional students. FGMA developed a comprehensive visioning and programming process that engaged departments both individually and as a collective to ensure that the process of designing the Transportation Education Center would be as collaborative as the space itself.
FGMA is proud to be working with Tarlton Corporation and Russell Co. while bringing to reality the vision laid out by STLCC and its Transformed initiative.
More information:
View FGMA's full higher education project portfolio here.
Read coverage of the October 2023 groundbreaking on the STLCC website.
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