Nearly five months after the Amarillo College Board of Regents authorized Chris Sharp, vice president of business affairs, to accept an offer from the Crouch Foundation for the old JC Penney building at 3701 Plains Blvd., the board approved the purchase during its Tuesday meeting.
The building will be the location of the college’s new First Responders Center, bringing programs from the East and West campuses under one roof, with the potential of hosting other programs currently housed at the East Campus. The regents approved the purchase price of $625,000.
According to previous Globe-News reports, the regents saw an opportunity to partner with Amarillo Independent School District's AmTech Career Academy project, which is located at 3601 Plains Blvd. With the proximity of the First Responders Center, the partnership could create further synergy between the college and the school district, officials said.