Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne and Kosciusko County welcomed civic, business and education leaders to campus Monday afternoon for “Breaking Barriers, Breaking Walls,” a celebration kicking off Reinvest, Reinvent & Revitalize, a nearly $70 million, three-phase campus transformation to take shape between January 2026 and June 2028.

Notable speakers at the kickoff event included Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker, Ivy Tech President Dr. Marty Pollio, Chancellor Kim Barnett-Johnson and Meg Distler, former chair of the Ivy Tech Fort Wayne campus board of trustees and executive director of the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation.

“One of the ways you know you are growing as a community is investment in the community,” Mayor Tucker said. “When you see schools being able to grow, you know that we are bringing students an education – which is a key component to the growth of a community.”

The three-phase project will begin January 2026 with a major renovation of the Student Life Center, transforming 36,000 square feet into a one-stop hub where students can access admissions, advising, financial aid and other services in a single building.

Phase two – approximately planned for May 2026 to September 2027 – will add a new 50,000-square-foot Nursing and Health Sciences building with simulation labs and modern classrooms to expand training capacity for nurses and other healthcare professionals. By fall 2027, Carroll Hall and Harshman Hall will be demolished and replaced with student-focused green space.

Funding for the project will come from the Ivy Tech state board, institutional and philanthropic support. Ivy Tech is welcoming private gifts, including naming opportunities for buildings, labs, classrooms and student spaces. For more information about Reinvest, Reinvent & Revitalize and related giving opportunities, contact the Ivy Tech Foundation at 260-480-2010 or tsmith1335@ivytech.edu