The John Mitchell Center in Gorham is being expanded to nearly double its current size in a construction project that is slated to break ground sometime later this month. The $8 million expansion will be built entirely with grants from the State and Federal government and local businesses. The expansion is slated for completion in December 2004.
The inconspicuous building currently houses laboratories where students and staff provide product and manufacturing testing services for local businesses. The floor space is dominated by large laboritories that are filled with state-of-the-art robotic manufacturing equipment. There are also several classrooms and computer labs in the building. The new wing will house similar facilities.
The John Mitchell Center is located on the corner of the Gorham campus between the former freshman-only parking lot and the Ice Arena. The new wing will add 23,000 square feet of floor space to the 37,000 square foot complex The existing space will also be refurbished to make best use of the new space and to conform to new building regulations. The original building was erected in 1965.
Out of the $8 million raised for the expansion, $4 million was paid by the State of Maine, $2million by the Federal Government, and the remaining $2 million by local businesses, according to Bill Moore, chair of the John Mitchell Center Building Committee. The Government’s interest is to stimulate the economy, he said. As for the businesses, he said, “They are interested in the grad students! They need well-trained individuals who will graduate and join their workforce.”
The John Mitchell Center is patronized by L.L. Bean, Thomas Mosher, and other local companies, according to “The business pays a nominal fee to cover to cover the cost of technology and the Professors’ time,” Explained John Wright, the Dean of ASET. Local businesses bring products or manufacturing procedures to the center and USM students test these for reliability and safety. In the process, students get exposure to real-world cutting-edge manufacturing techniques.
The John Mitchell Center is home to the School of Applied Sciences, engineering and technology (ASET), which administers the school’s technology-related degrees: biotechnology, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial technology, and technology education, among others. With the expansion of the building comes a new degree, mechanical engineering, according to Wright. There are also several new concentrations in the Industrial Technology major on the way.
“We{‘re} collaborate{ing} with UMO,” which is building a sister facility in Orono, Wright said. “We’re developing things like Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing, real world stuff.” While the Univeristy of Maine at Orono (UMO)develops new techniques and materials to meet the needs of local businesses. “If I can’t help someone I refer them to UMO, and vice-versa.”
The expansion is bring done by Wright-Ryan Construction Co., a local firm which also built the Ice Arena and is renovating the top three floors of the Glickman Library in Portland. The expansion of the George Mitchell Center is projected to be finished by the end of 2004.