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 Expansion
Phase I
Construction
completed - 2004
Health Sciences Center
and
Pedestrian Bridge (phase I)
Enlarged Photo
As
part of the first phase of a major expansion of Montgomery College's
Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, the College constructed a new
98,000-square-foot
Health Sciences
Center, to provide
state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and other facilities to
serve the college's various health sciences programs. In addition,
the new center houses a new small business training center operated
by the College's Workforce Development and Continuing Education
Unit.
Located directly on Georgia Avenue in south
Silver Spring, the Health Sciences Center also became
home to a new community clinic operated by Holy Cross Hospital, in
partnership with the college. The community clinic addresses the
growing shortage of health care professionals, particularly those
who are well-trained to provide patient care for a diverse
community, and offers accessible health services to the most
vulnerable and under-served.
The community health clinic occupies over 5,000
square feet on the first floor of the four-story building and houses
4 exam rooms and 2 large classrooms. The primary care clinic
provides community access to quality clinical care and at the same
time offers valuable community-based clinical experience for student
nurses. Holy Cross Hospital personnel handles patient care and serve
as clinical adjunct faculty, working side-by-side with College
faculty in supervising and evaluating students.
This new
building is not just about mortar and bricks. The Montgomery College
Health Sciences Center is more than a collection of classrooms and
laboratories. It is a cadre of outstanding faculty and health care
professionals. It is a statement of hope and optimism for the most
needy in our community. It is a bridge to the future, an important
component in the growth and revitalization of Silver Spring.
Clearly, the real beneficiaries are the students who dream of better
lives for themselves and their families and the communities that
they will serve by providing high quality healthcare services.
In addition, phase
I projects included the realignment of Fenton Street. The north end
of the Fenton Street was shifted and a portion of Chicago Avenue was
closed to provide a large enough site for the Student
Services Center. The realignment began at New York Avenue at the
northern tip of the current campus and ended prior to the old
entrance to the college parking lot on Fenton Street.
Furthermore, during phase I, the College built a new
pedestrian bridge.
The bridge
over the CSX/Metro tracks is a crucial element in the Campus
expansion. It provides the necessary connection between the existing
campus and the new buildings, west of the tracks. The 600 students
who use the Health Sciences Center travel frequently to the
existing campus, which contains the library, other classroom
buildings, food services and the parking garage. Without the bridge,
students and faculty would be disconnected from their peers as well
as necessary services and facilities.
The bridge begins
at the northeast corner of Jessup Blair Park, and then crosses the
CSX/WMATA railroad track right-of-way. A ramp and
stairway connected to Fenton Street as part of the first phase
of the bridge construction. At the east side of Fenton Street, the
bridge terminates inside the Student Services Center at
the second floor level.
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