Later this morning, Ozark Technical College in Springfield will host the grand opening of a new facility. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, in addition to OTC officials, will be on-hand this morning to officially open the new Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing.

Its construction is the result of a 5-cent property tax increase approved by voters in the OTC Taxing District in the Spring of 2018.

The college promised voters that if they supported the tax, Ozark Technical College would construct a state-of-the-art center for advanced manufacturing.

The new 120,000-square-foot center cost $40 million to build and will be home to several of the college’s technical education programs, including automation and robotics, cybersecurity, drafting and design, information technology infrastructure, and more.

The grand opening takes place just one week before the college opens its fall semester on August 22. Today’s ceremonies start at ten this morning.