Construction is expected to begin in March on an $11.9 million building at North Idaho College, in Coeur dAlene, that will house the schools nursing, health-professions, and natural-science programs.


The new structure is expected to help NIC boost enrollment in its high-demand nursing programs.


The Idaho Legislature approved funding for the 57,000-square-foot Health and Sciences Building last spring, says Rolly Jurgens, vice president for administrative services at NIC.


NIC is expected to seek construction bids for the project in January, and construction should be completed by Sept. 1, 2005, Jurgens says.


Bonds to pay for the project already have been sold, he says.


The building will be constructed north of the colleges student union building, on land that previously was used as a baseball field, Jurgens says.


H2A Architects PA, of Coeur dAlene, is designing the building. Integrus Architecture PS, of Spokane, is a design consultant on the project.


The structure will include classrooms, two lecture auditoriums, laboratories, and staff offices, Jurgens says.


Lita Burns, director of health professions and nursing at NIC, says the college currently has space for 100 registered-nursing students, and 30 students in its licensed practical nursing program.


The completion of the Health and Sciences building will allow NIC to expand both of those programs, for which there is great demand, she says.


I would imagine very quickly we will want to add 10 openings to both the RN and LPN programs, she says. The timing of further expansion will be dictated to some degree by the availability of faculty members, as well as opportunities for on-the-job training, Burns says.


Having more room also could mean that NIC could add more health-professions courses, such as radiology technologist, she says. Currently, the college offers associates degrees in pharmacy technologist and human services, the latter of which trains students for careers in mental-health, group-home, and juvenile-home settings, she says.


In addition to those health-care programs, the new building will house NICs natural-science classes, such as biology, Jurgens says.