Des Moines Area Community College leaders, students, industry partners and alumni gathered Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of a $34 million trades and industry center on the northeast side of the college’s Ankeny campus. The 72,000-square-foot facility will replace buildings from the 1960s and modernize education for five programs including building trades, HVAC, diesel technology, fire science and the Ford training center. Designed by DLR Group and managed by Ryan Companies, the center aims to provide collaborative and flexible real-world work environments. “This isn’t just infrastructure – it’s impact,” DMACC President Rob Denson said in a prepared statement. “In every professional field, the environment in which students learn matters. May this be a place where potential is discovered, skills are sharpened, and futures are built.”