<p>Construction is underway on the William J. Harrison Education Center, a new $10.5 million education and jobs training center operated by St. Louis Community College.<br /><br />Kwame Building Group (KWAME) of St. Louis is construction manager and owner&rsquo;s representative for the project. Construction on the two-story building began in June and will be completed in 2010. The architect is KAI, also of St. Louis.<br /><br />The 30,265-square-foot education center will focus on computer technology, allied health, environmental sciences and workforce training and development. The new facility will house classrooms with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, an art studio, science and computer labs, a multi-purpose community room, a bookstore, common areas, an outreach center and administrative offices.<br /><br />The new facility at 3140 Cass Avenue replaces the existing William J. Harrison Northside Education Center on Natural Bridge Road.&nbsp; The &ldquo;green&rdquo; project will be built seeking gold certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.<br /><br />Environmentally friendly elements will include energy-efficient heating and cooling, use of recyclable materials in construction, and source controls of indoor chemicals and pollutants. <br /><br />The William J. Harrison Education Center originally opened in 1994 to provide education services to a previously under-served population in north St. Louis City. The center has educated more than 6,000 people a year and partners with more than 100 community-based organizations.&nbsp; The new facility will be&nbsp; located near Vashon High School and the Clyde C. Miller Academy in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood.</p>