An Ivy Tech campus is in the works for Frankfort

FRANKFORT, Ind. (WLFI) - Ivy Tech is coming to Frankfort. City and Clinton County leaders hope it helps further educational opportunities and economic development.

"It won't help me but it will help my son," said Frankfort resident, Laurie Staley.

Staley decided to enroll at classes at Ivy Tech in Lafayette after years of working in a factory. Now, her son, Mark, will attend the same college this year but he won't have to drive as far next year.

"He'll still be going to Ivy Tech when they open the Frankfort campus so that'll be great," said Staley.

Clinton County and Frankfort city leaders came together Monday night to take the first steps to bring an Ivy Tech campus to town, a project expected to cost $2.5 million. During the meeting, the city entered into an official letter of intent to Ivy Tech.

"To solidify all the finite details that will take to fund this project effectively and get it off the ground by fall of 2013," said Frankfort Mayor, Chris McBarnes.

Officials also voted on a Declaration of Interest to purchase the Frankfort Times building as the planned site of the Ivy Tech Center.

McBarnes said this location will help boost economic development for downtown Frankfort.

"Students walking back and forth to buy coffees, and pizzas, and steaks from our various restaurants and shops. What this will also do is, it will work to connect our downtown to our I-65 corridor," said McBarnes.

McBarnes said if the Frankfort Times building is purchased, the newspaper will relocate to another building downtown.

He said the city's next step is to raise money to buy the Frankfort Times building. McBarnes said the city is already well on its way.

"We have a very generous, anonymous donor who has already put $150,000 into the private side of our money to launch this capital fundraising campaign," said McBarnes.

Staley said this new center and its location will keep other young people, like her son, close to home.

"Once those students graduate, they will get jobs here and they will stay in Frankfort," said Staley.

Last year, more than 1,000 students from Clinton County enrolled at Ivy Tech's Lafayette campus.

Mayor McBarnes said the new center will be within 15 minutes of most county residents.