On July 2, Enterprise State Community College President Danny Long and City of Enterprise Mayor William E. Cooper joined to recognize the City and College’s partnership, seen through new facility projects on the Enterprise Campus.

“We want to thank Mayor Cooper and the City for their support,” Long said. “We’re going to have the opportunity to cut ribbons and open doors of two incredible facilities in the next year.  Obviously, we have Jimmy H. Baker Hall, but we also have a new state-of-the-art workforce center. We’re really excited about what our role is in preparing the future workforce not only for Enterprise, but also for the Wiregrass and the State of Alabama.”

“The relationship between the City of Enterprise and ESCC is built on a shared commitment to serving our citizens and building a brighter future for our community,” Mayor Cooper said. “We are proud to call ESCC Alabama’s fastest-growing community college and even prouder to support its mission. Together, we are creating opportunities for education, career success, and community connection.”

 The City-College partnership has led to many impactful projects, such as the Workforce Technology Center, currently under construction at ESCC.

In October 2022, the Enterprise City Council approved $10 million for the facility’s construction to assist with addressing workforce needs in the city and the surrounding areas. The workforce center will provide modular training spaces for technical training programs, including welding, HVAC, automotive technology, mechatronics, and more.

“The City’s investment in the Workforce Technology Center reflects our belief that building a stronger workforce starts right here at home,” Mayor Cooper said. “This facility will help train the next generation of professionals and open doors for individuals seeking new careers. That’s not just an investment in a building; it’s an investment in people. It’s an investment in our youth, our neighbors and our future.”

Another facility project expected to provide great economic impact in the City of Progress is the recently named Jimmy H. Baker Hall Center for the Arts, which houses a 600-seat theater, several modern meeting spaces, and an academic wing for ESCC Fine Arts programs.

The Baker Center has been a project long in the making. Conversations about the need for a performing arts center were held during ASPIRE (Achieving Systemwide Potential through Increased Resources and Engagement) 2030 meetings with local community leaders.

ASPIRE meetings began in 2020 after it was announced that Alabama Community College System Chancellor Jimmy Baker (the namesake of the Baker Center) developed the program to inspire deeper community engagement as part of statewide strategic planning for facility upgrades.

“You can see that the city is serious about what we do; the College is serious about what we do,” Long said, also recognizing the support of the ACCS Chancellor and local legislative delegates. “All those different parts have had a role in making these projects possible.”

Past City-College projects include the much-loved pickleball courts. The College provided land to build these essential recreational spaces, which sees regular use by local players. Additionally, the city and college partnered for a project that included a new press box, stadium seating, a parking lot, and a concession stand for the College’s softball and baseball teams.

“Whether it’s helping meet the growing demand for workforce development through the new Workforce Technology Center or partnering on quality-of-life projects like the pickleball complex and improvements at Peavy Park, the collaboration between the city and ESCC continues to deliver real, lasting benefits for the people of Enterprise,” Cooper said.

“When you drill down, what really matters is the individuals that were going to be able to impact and the ripple effect that’s going to have not only for those individual students, but, as those ripples start to spread, on the community and on the Wiregrass,” Long said. “When you combine these projects with really quality administrators, faculty, staff, and city leaders, it’s going to have an impact on this city for decades to come.”