The bright sun and strong wind that blew foreshadowed new opportunities as Cosumnes River College’s new addition, the Elk Grove Center was welcomed by CRC President Deborah Travis, the board of trustees, and administration on Sept. 12.

Travis spoke of how the new center is going to provide an amazing learning environment for students, and Los Rios District Chancellor Brian King described it as “the third jewel in the triple crown,” referring to the new parking structure, Winn Center and the Elk Grove Center.

“We all share a common bond and goal, which is to continue to be a thriving community,” Travis said . “This really embraces the value we hold for student success.”

King shared his enthusiasm of the amount of students who have already enrolled in courses at the new center in just a short amount of time.

“This place is just a beehive of activity with already 1,500 enrollments,” King said.

The Elk Grove Center was a $15 million project, funded by a bond measure passed by taxpayers in 2002, according to the dedication program.

“This is a great day for CRC, Elk Grove, and our community,” said the City of Elk Grove Vice Mayor Steve Detrick. “Even though we have this beautiful facility, it’s more about the people who made it happen.”

The Los Rios Board of Trustees President Pamela Haynes pointed out that the location of the center being so close to a high school was no coincidence. She said that the location provides high school students with an easy choice when it comes to college.

“We are inextricably connected to soul purposes, and its about making sure our community stays engaged in education,” Haynes said.

Students who were getting out of class also gathered outside the building for the dedication. Jonah Anderson, a 26-year-old business administration major, explained his experience at the center so far.

“This is a really nice area and traffic is not bad at all,” Anderson said. “There is tons of parking space and it’s just a nice change being in a new building.”

Principal in charge of the DLR design and build team, Jon Anderson, spoke of his experiences working with Los Rios.

“We are all a part of the education for our community,” Anderson said. “We really want to continue to expand our relationship with the Los Rios Community College District.”

As administrators and students gathered in front of the building for the ceremonial ribbon cutting, the Elk Grove Center officially was dedicated and added to the collection of new campus facilities.