DANBURY Naugatuck Valley Community College is expanding its offerings in a new, central downtown location.
Officials at the college confirmed this week that they will be moving their classrooms and administrative services from Crosby Street to a building along Main Street, near the intersection with Liberty and West streets, across from the library.
The college will share the space with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, which is moving from its current location on West Street.
"This new location, near the corner of Liberty Street, will provide us with much needed space to expand services to both credit and non-credit students, which will help us to continue our tremendous growth in enrollment at our Danbury center," said college president Daisy Cocco De Filippis.
For several years the college has wanted to move into a building along Delay Street, across the street from the Danbury Ice Arena, that once housed the Colorado Brew Pub.
College officials said proposals to move to Delay Street are "no longer in contention," according to Thomas Violante, director of public relations for the college.
De Filippis said the new location on Main Street will allow the college to have larger classrooms, an expanded student services center and administrative offices, as well as a laboratory for students in the school's Certified Nursing Assistant program.
She added that with the new location, which will be in full operation by the end of next month, the college will "have ample space to continue developing the curriculum offered in Danbury in a much larger area than we previously had."
The number of students enrolled in for-credit classes at the college's Danbury location more than doubled in the past year, from 214 students in the spring of 2009, the first semester credit courses were offered in the city, to more than 450 students enrolled this past spring.
The college will share the space with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, an organization that provides job search assistance, resume writing and interview skills workshops and job training.
Catherine Awwad, executive director of the investment board, said it will continue to provide the same services they have in the past, but with a smaller and more efficient location than it occupied on West Street with the state Department of Labor.
Awwad said she is exciting about sharing space with the college, which often develops curriculum based on needs within the workforce.
"They can provide a lot of customized job training opportunities, so they are a great partner," Awwad said.
City officials said the college being on Main Street will help the continuing efforts to revitalize the downtown.
"What could be more exciting than having more than 400 students coming into the downtown?" said CityCenter executive director Andrea Gartner.
"For the college to provide an anchor to the downtown is a positive step not just for the city, but for greater Danbury."
