State allocates $25 million for Lox Groves campus building

Lawmakers have allocated an additional $25 million in the state budget recently signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis toward construction of a Dental & Medical Services Technology Building at the Palm Beach State College Loxahatchee Groves campus.

Plans are to relocate the existing Dental Hygiene and Surgical Services Associate in Science degree programs and the Dental Assisting career certificate program from the Lake Worth campus to what will become the second building at the Dennis P. Gallon Campus. Upon approval from the state Department of Education and the College’s accrediting body, the College also plans to launch a new Physical Therapist Assistant program there. The four-story, roughly 84,000-square-foot building will include science labs, general classrooms and administrative offices.

“I am excited for the opportunity to enhance our Loxahatchee Groves campus through a new Dental & Medical Services Technology Building,’’ said PBSC President Ava L. Parker, J.D. “Through this facility, our students will be one step ahead by benefitting from state-of-the-art equipment and technology that will assist them in their health science careers while meeting industry needs.”

This is the second state allocation for the building. In 2017, the state allocated $5 million for the project, which with furniture and a chiller plant, is now expected to cost more than $50 million.  The College also has secured private funds and will pursue additional funds for the project. With construction prices continuing to rise, the College wants to move forward quickly. Current plans are to hold a groundbreaking ceremony in the fall.

The Loxahatchee Groves campus, which celebrated its five-year anniversary this year, opened as the College’s fifth campus on Feb. 27, 2017, to more than 700 students. Today it serves over 5,000 students annually.