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Final Beam Installed at RVC鈥檚 Downtown West Campus

• Campus
• 08/15/2025

Rock Valley College celebrated a key construction milestone with a Last Beam Celebration at its new Downtown West Campus on Friday, August 15, at 1 p.m.

The event was held on-site at the intersection of Chestnut and Winnebago Streets in downtown Rockford.

The Downtown West Campus, which officially broke ground on March 27, 2024, is on track to open in August 2026 and is poised to become a hub for adult education and workforce development in the region.

鈥淭his project represents far more than brick and steel,鈥� said RVC President Dr. Howard Spearman. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about building access to education, access to opportunity, and access to a brighter future for adult learners across the Rockford region. This campus will be a gateway, not an endpoint.鈥�

The 50,000-square-foot facility will offer programs in Automotive Technology (including electric, gas, and diesel engines), Collision Repair, Truck Driver Training, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Human Services, and Adult Education. The space will also feature community areas to strengthen RVC鈥檚 connection to the downtown neighborhoods.

Alongside the campus development, the Rock Valley College Foundation launched the Campaign for Access and Opportunity, a $2.5 million scholarship initiative to eliminate financial barriers for Downtown West Campus students.

鈥淓ducation should not be a privilege for a few but an opportunity for all,鈥� said Brittany Freiberg, Chief Development Officer of the RVC Foundation. 鈥淭his campaign ensures that life circumstances don鈥檛 stand in the way of pursuing an education.鈥�

Members of the community, RVC staff and board members, and elected officials attended  the celebration to mark this important milestone.

To learn more about the Downtown West Campus, visit .