MDOT awards PRCC $304,200 grant for PRCC Hattiesburg campus

            HATTIESBURG – A new $304,200 Mississippi Department of Transportation grant will make Pearl River Community College’s Forrest County Center campus just a little nicer for students and alumni who visit the campus.
            The money, awarded by the MDOT via a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant, will be used to construct a pedestrian commons area in the place of an existing parking area on the Hattiesburg campus.
           “This funding opportunity that MDOT has granted to Pearl River College will greatly enhance our Forrest County Center,” said PRCC President William Lewis.
           “The FCC has experienced rapid growth in the past decade and we anticipate continued enrollment increases and campus expansion in the future.”
Enrollment at the Forrest County Center this fall reached some 1,500 students and has come as close as 2,000 students in years past.
             Southern Transportation Commissioner Tom King presented the check to Lewis on Friday at the Forrest County Center.
             The grant is an 80-20 match, with PRCC adding around $76,050 to the project. Total cost of the project: $380,250.00
          “This grant award will provide for not only improvements in the functionality of the campus by providing common space for pedestrians, but will greatly enhance the safety of the campus as well,” said Dr. Lewis. “We are most grateful to Commissioner King and MDOT for this generous award.”
             King said MDOT is proud to partner with PRCC on this project.
            “MDOT is thrilled to partner with Pearl River Community College on this pedestrian commons project on the Hattiesburg campus,” said King. “This Transportation Enhancement funding will greatly benefit students and staff at this campus for many years to come.”
            Dr. Jana Causey, vice president for Forrest County Operations, said the grant is a plus for PRCC’s growing campus in the Hub City.
          “We are excited to be recognized with this funding by MDOT,” she said. “This endeavor will provide our students with an opportunity to network, study, and build relationships. This project will contribute so much to the college experience that we want for our students.”
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Pearl River Community College offers equal education and employment opportunities. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, or disability. For inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies or to request accommodations, special assistance, or alternate format publication, please contact Tonia Moody, ADA/Civil Rights Coordinator, at P.O. Box 5118, Poplarville, MS 39470 or 601 403-1060.

Southern Transportation Commissioner Tom King presented a $304,200 check
PHOTO CAPTION:
HATTIESBURG – Southern Transportation Commissioner Tom King presented a $304,200 check to Pearl River Community College President Dr. William Lewis Friday, Sept. 25, at PRCC’s Forrest County Center. The money, awarded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation via a federal Transportation Alternatives grant, will be used to construct a pedestrian commons area on the Hattiesburg campus. On hand for the presentation were, from left: Dr. Lewis, Dr. Jana Causey, vice president for Forrest County Operations; Dale Purvis, chairman of the PRCC Board of Trustees; and King.

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