City, Mesa State, MEDC partner for education

It’s real “City on the Rise” news, this. The city of Montrose Monday announced how it has offered 85 acres on Sunset Mesa to build an expanded campus of Mesa State College/Montrose. The parcel is located above Cerise Park.

Late last year, the Montrose Economic Development Corp. approached the city about the proposal, citing how higher education contributes to having a strong local workforce and is always a boon when the MEDC is recruiting companies to relocate here.

Mesa State College president Tim Foster called the gesture a “wonderful gift.”

It is. Plenty of land with 365-degree views and access to the city, its parks and other amenities.

The work ahead, and it’s no small challenge, is funding new campus buildings for the site. Currently, more than 250 students attend Mesa State/Montrose at the Montrose Regional Library, with curriculum dealing primarily with nursing and elementary education programs, along with business courses and arts. Space is limited, so much so, that Mesa “borrows” laboratory facilities from the Montrose/Olathe school district.

The gift of space, the challenge of funding and educational development lay ahead. Let’s meet them as we have before as a community.