Berkshire Community College to Combine Downtown Pittsfield Locations
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced that the institution will consolidate its downtown Pittsfield facilities beginning July 1. In an effort to streamline efficiencies, BCC will shift its operations from the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) to the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building when its agreement expires June 30. In 2008, BCC and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) embarked on a unique initiative that involved utilizing available space at the ITC to allow students to access classes in downtown Pittsfield at the public transportation hub. The effort was achieved with the assistance of former Congressman John Olver, the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) and the City of Pittsfield. BCC and MCLA expanded their downtown presence at the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building in 2011. Dubbed the Education Center at Conte, the location provides convenient access to public transportation.
“As part of BCC and MCLA’s commitment to downtown Pittsfield, we will focus our efforts on one convenient location where we can provide high-quality educational services to our students,” said Vice President for Community Education & Workforce Development William Mulholland. “The number of students, businesses, and the general public that were exposed to the BRTA and BCC through the cooperative venture in the ITC over the past seven years is immeasurable,” said BRTA Administrator Robert Malnati. “BCC and the BRTA have been and will continue to be collaborative partners in downtown Pittsfield.”
BCC’s Office of Community Education & Workforce Development will relocate to the Education Center at Conte beginning in June. BCC’s main campus located on West Street in Pittsfield will undergo a $32 million upgrade including substantial building renovations, a community turf athletic field and resurfaced parking lots and access roads. The centerpiece of the campus enhancements will occur at Hawthorne and Melville Halls, BCC’s two main academic buildings. Renovations to Hawthorne Hall will begin in May with Melville to follow January 2016.
