Montgomery College’s Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science Building will open for classes Sept. 3—offering students a new three-story facility on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus that includes a planetarium and multiple advanced labs, according to college officials.
On Thursday, the community college announced the grand opening of the building, a 108,000-square-foot STEM facility that includes 20 advanced labs, eight classrooms, a math and science learning center, a cybersecurity center, an atrium and a greenhouse.
“The Catherine and Isiah Leggett Building is the culmination of years of efforts to ensure that our students at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus have equitable access to math and science instruction in a modern, fully equipped and sustainable building,” college President Jermaine F. Williams said in a statement released Thursday.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 19 at the building, according to the statement. Faculty and staff will begin working in the building starting Aug. 26 preparing for the students’ fall classes that start Sept. 3.
According to the statement, the construction project cost $104 million, which was provided by Montgomery County and the state. The building is named after former County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett and his wife, Catherine, in honor of their philanthropic support. Leggett retired in December 2018 after serving three four-year terms.
The Leggett building replaces these former campus buildings: Falcon Hall, Science South and the original greenhouse, according to the colleges website on the project.
Among the 20 labs are those for general chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy and physiology, biology, microbiology physics and engineering and environmental ecology. The planetarium has 100 moveable seats under a titled 30-foot dome.
Creation of the building’s design started in 2018, after the Montgomery College Board of Trustees approved a contract with the Washington, D.C.-based integrated design firm, SmithGroup. The college also partnered with LINK Strategic Partners, located in Washington, D.C., for a series of meetings to determine community needs and input into the plan.
Construction company Michigan-based Barton Malow Construction, the primary contractor, broke ground for the project in.
Montgomery College also has campuses in Germantown and Rockville. The community college also operates workforce development and continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout the county.