The Ivy Tech Community College state and regional boards of trustees recently approved the purchase of the Auto Body Center located at 7717 Opportunity Drive, in Fort Wayne. The Ivy Tech Foundation has now finalized that process by purchasing the facility, which the Foundation will then lease to the College.

The Auto Body Center, which was originally constructed in 1990, was previously used for construction offices and warehousing for a local contractor. Ivy Tech’s plans are to move the collision repair courses, currently located at Glenbrook Hyundai, to the new facility during May 2012. This move will allow for additional course offerings and alleviate current capacity constraints experienced by the automotive program at its current facility.

The new Ivy Tech Auto Body Center is a 10,000 square-foot facility situated on two acres in the Opportunity Drive Industrial Park. Not only will this location remove the current capacity constraints, it will allow for continued growth and accommodate up to an additional 255 students per week. The facility will more than double the current seating capacity now afforded by the Glenbrook Hyundai facility. The new Auto Body Center will provide a lab setting very similar to what is found within the industry.

Along with the additional capacity, the new course offerings that will be delivered will include new Waterborne Refinishing material and techniques. This is the new “green” process being utilized by many of today’s auto manufacturers. This new technology will allow our students to be on the forefront of these new green processes and allow them to enter into the workforce with the training and background now being utilized in automotive industry.

This new training center will also allow individuals who are currently in the repair industry a location that could provide them with the newest technology and products, along with the help of local businesses.