A new $3.1 million Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Center in downtown Perry is set for completion in May 2011 Perry Economic Development Corp. announced plans on Wednesday for the project. The 15,000-square-foot center will stand just south of the public library.

The DMACC Center will allow nearby school districts to send high school juniors and seniors to the facility for vocational and technical training during the day, and on weekends the center will offer vocational and technical training as well as college credit for working adults. A survey at Perry High School indicated that 57 percent of students would attend college beyond high school if a local DMACC campus were present.

“The DMACC Center will provide a tremendous economic boost to our community and have a powerful educational impact on our county,” said Bill Clark, vice president of Perry Economic Development Corp.

The project was made possible by a $1.55 million I-JOBS grant, which will be joined by matching private-sector contributions and $500,000 from DMACC.

“I-JOBS was designed to quickly rebuild our state and create jobs for Iowans, and the DMACC Center of Perry is helping us do just that,” said Gov. Chet Culver in a release. “These funds will not only provide an immediate economic boost to Perry, but will lay the foundation for long-lasting educational and workforce training opportunities throughout the community. The DMACC Center of Perry is an example of what I-JOBS can do for communities large and small.”

Beyond the construction jobs the project will create, the DMACC Center will also create jobs for teachers, administrators and employees in support positions.

DMACC President Rob Denson praised the leaders of Perry, and said everyone at DMACC was eager to move forward with the plans. Clark said financial development is under way and that the planners are now in the process of looking for a design team.