Press Releases and Speeches

Chancellor Watson and Mayor Daley Break Ground on New Kennedy-King College Campus

Chicago, IL (November 9, 2005) - Community leaders joined Chancellor Wayne Watson Wednesday in breaking ground on the new $220 million Kennedy-King College campus in the Englewood community.

The new college campus will be an anchor of the community and a major step toward its revitalization, said Mayor Richard M. Daley at the ceremonial groundbreaking held at the construction site at 63rd Street and Halsted Avenue.

"Englewood's revival has been the result of a partnership of the City, community residents, not-for-profit organizations, the faith community and the private sector," Daley said. "Together we've revived a community that many had written off."

Englewood residents will have an opportunity to work on the construction site of the new Kennedy-King College, Daley added.

"The building of the new Kennedy-King College will establish a new paradigm for how colleges and universities are constructed throughout the nation," Watson said.

All of the contractors working on the new Kennedy-King College campus have agreed to a 15 percent community hiring requirement. That means that at least 15 percent of the total man-hours worked on the project will have been performed by an Englewood resident.

"The students will be involved not only in the construction of their lives, but also in the construction of their college," Watson said.

The groundbreaking was also attended by Senate President Emil Jones, Ald. Shirley Coleman (16th) and Ald. Arenda Troutman (20th), as well as Rev. St. John Chisum, chairperson of the Pastors of Englewood church.

The City Colleges of Chicago (Community College District 508) is the one of the largest urban community college systems in the nation serving over 140,000 students annually.

CCC provides four essential services: liberal arts education (associate degrees and certificates); occupational education (workforce training); adult education (GED, ESL, ABE) and continuing education (programs that add value to the quality of life).

The seven separately accredited City Colleges are: Daley College, Malcolm X College, Olive-Harvey College, Harold Washington College, Wright College, Truman College and Kennedy-King College. For more information about City Colleges, call (773) C-O-L-L-E-G-E or click www.ccc.edu