Construction is officially underway on the Gateway Community and Technical College Urban/Metro Campus in downtown Covington. College officials and community leaders made a symbolic swing of the sledge hammer Thursday to mark the start of a complete renovation of the former Marx Gallery at 520 Madison Avenue into the Gateway Technology and Design Center. Classes are expected to start in the refurbished 50,000-square-foot facility in August next year.
Last November, the college unveiled its master plan for the more than $82.5 million Urban/Metro Campus. Gateway said the college and its foundation were acquiring nine properties in Covington to create the campus. It'll cover a six-block area from 4th to 7th Streets and from Greenup to Madison.
"Today opens a new phase in the development of the Urban/Metro Campus," said Ed Hughes, Gateway President and CEO. "We've transitioned from making plans to turning those plans into a reality."