Preliminary concept view of SCTEC from ARCON video.
PARK FOREST, Ill.—(ENEWSPF)—A lack of recent news about the Southland Career and Technical Education Center (SCTEC) planned for the Rich East site leaves Park Forest residents wondering whether the project will actually come to fruition. You may be wondering. But that’s not the case, according to a recent meeting of concerned school district and village officials. The target opening date for SCTEC is 2028.
District officials and state government representatives outlined the project schedule during a “Lunch and Learn” on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Southland College Prep Charter High School Annex.
SCTEC project review
Southland Career & Technical Education Center (SCTEC) provides students with career training opportunities unique to the south suburbs. (Image SCTEC collection)
As envisioned, SCTEC will be a new facility built on the site of the shuttered Rich East High School on Sauk Trail in Park Forest. The course is open to students from participating districts studying a variety of high-tech trades, including construction, manufacturing, aviation, public safety, urban agriculture, logistics and supply chain management, and information technology.
SCTEC is Rich Township District 227, Broome Township District 206, Homewood-Flossmoor District 233, Prairie State College District 515, Southland College Preparatory District 162, and SPEED SEJA District 802. The collective currently has approximately 10,000 students.
SCTEC planning began in 2018 and aims to open in 2028. (Image SCTEC Collective)
Planning for the center began in 2018. But after the district closed Rich East in 2020, plans accelerated. The district then announced it would build SCTEC on the site. The new 145,000 square foot facility was originally estimated to cost $100 million. The estimated cost to renovate the existing building to the required standards was $95 million. There was uncertainty about what issues would arise when renovating the 75-year-old building. For this reason, the district decided to construct a new facility.
According to Rich East Precinct 227 Superintendent Dr. Johnny Thomas, the current project schedule calls for the demolition of the current building. Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in 2026. Thomas acknowledged that the $100 million estimate is several years old. But he hopes the final cost stays close to that.
The main hurdle remains: funding
Congresswoman Debbie Myers Martin (D-38th District) provided an update on construction funding. She noted that area legislators strongly support the project. District and state officials recently met with Gov. Pritzker to discuss the project and garner his support. While supportive, the governor said strong support from local communities is essential to securing the necessary funding.
As previously reported on eNews Park Forest, the Collective received a $1.74 million grant thanks to the efforts of U.S. Representative Robin Kelly. This grant enabled us to undertake preliminary planning and design activities.
The collective also applied for a $10 million grant through U.S. Senator Durbin’s office. Their applications were not approved, but they are encouraged to reapply for the grants they are completing.
Thomas stressed that the goal is simply to secure funding for the construction of the facility. Participating districts will be responsible for all ongoing operating costs.
The organization approved Arcon Associates as SCTEC’s architect. Above are some renderings of what the facility will look like. (Image SCTEC collection)
Vision for Southland Career and Technical Education Facility
Representatives from Alcon Associates, the architectural firm selected for the project, presented the first outline of the facility. The design includes dedicated space for each focus area, including a warehouse for logistics and inventory management curriculum, a greenhouse for urban agriculture, a drone field for aviation research, and a laboratory area for construction trades and information technology.
Alcon will study traffic flow around the proposed facility and the best location for the building should be around the existing lagoon, athletic fields, tennis courts and Com Ed substation. Recognizing that not all funds will be available at once, Archon’s plan allows for construction to occur in multiple phases.
Alcon has developed a four-minute “flyover” video presentation showing potential designs for the facility.
Advisory group meeting begins
Officials established an advisory committee to guide districts and architects to ensure facilities and curriculum meet desired needs. Mr Thomas encouraged those interested to become active members of the group.
Rather than wait for construction to be completed, Thomas said the collective will begin sharing career programs with one or more schools. Doing so would allow the state to recognize that the collective established a career center before a physical facility, opening up a new source of funding from the state.
Thomas believes these shared programs could be in place by the fall of 2025.
All officials who spoke at the luncheon emphasized the importance of community support and participation. State and local representatives must understand the critical nature of this undertaking and support the construction and operation of SCTEC.
Thomas said a summit will be held in spring 2025 to update all community members on the project.
