Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne & Kosciusko County officially broke ground Wednesday, May 20 on the new Nursing & Health Sciences building at its north campus, marking a major investment in healthcare education and workforce development for northeast Indiana.
Ivy Tech Community College leaders and board members joined the Fort Wayne campus leadership team in breaking ground on the new building, with the building's architecture firm CSO also in attendance.
The future 50,000-square-foot facility will create a hospital-centered learning environment designed to expand enrollment capacity, modernize healthcare training, and strengthen the region’s pipeline of healthcare professionals.
The project is part of the campus’s larger “Reinvest, Reinvent, Revitalize” restructuring initiative focused on enhancing the student experience, increasing enrollment, and improving student retention and completion outcomes.
“This new facility promises to increase enrollment by an estimated 21 percent and will increase specialty lab spaces by an estimated 48 percent,” said Dr. Kim Barnett-Johnson, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Fort Wayne & Kosciusko County. “But it is more than just a new building—it’s a workforce development engine, an innovation hub, and a direct investment in the long-term health and economic vitality of our communities. This much needed project has been in the making for quite some time now, and we are excited that the day is finally here.”
The facility will include advanced simulation labs, patient care suites, collaborative learning spaces, and updated classrooms designed to support nursing and health sciences education.
Collectively, the full restructuring project is expected to increase enrollment by approximately 35 percent over the next six years, allowing the campus to serve nearly 3,000 additional students.
“At Ivy Tech, 95 percent of the students stay here in Indiana,” said Marty Pollio, President of Ivy Tech Community College. “The students who will be benefiting from this new facility are from northeast Indiana and will remain in this area after graduation, serving local healthcare needs and impacting our community.”
The Nursing & Health Sciences building is expected to open in January 2028.
Ivy Tech is currently fundraising $7 million in community support for the project.
Learn more about the project, watch the construction livestream, and give to the campaign by visiting https://link.ivytech.edu/construction
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
