PORT TOWNSEND — Peninsula College’s renovation of Fort Worden State Park’s Building 202 for new classroom facilities could begin sometime in the next two years.

But state budget cuts could force the 14,000-square-foot project to be downsized, the college president told business leaders Monday.

Excited by project

“We’re seriously very excited about the [Building] 202 project,” Tom Keegan, Peninsula College president, told about 50 attending the weekly Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Elks Lodge.

“We’re looking for another way to pull this off. We’ll either scale it back” or look for other funding sources.

The renovated space in the former military barracks building south of Fort Worden Commons would be nearly three times the space the college now uses inside the park’s old Schoolhouse Building.

Planned is a two-story facility with two classrooms on the first floor, a learning lab, student study area and lounge.

On the second floor would be a science classroom, a work-force training room, a student art room, offices and storage preparation rooms.

2011 biennial list

The new facility is on the 2011-2013 state list for funding.

Keegan said under the original agreement, the state was to pay $2 million for the Building 202 project, with Peninsula College kicking in $2 million plus up to $2 million in other private and foundation funding sources.

But with state budget cuts, the project was pulled from the priority list.

Keegan said he was successful in getting the project back on the list.

He said he may return to Port Townsend in January asking for local support, depending on what happens in the state Legislature.

‘Off the charts’

Keegan said the facility would meet growing demands for education at a time when enrollment is “off the charts,” growing 14 percent in 2009 and 18 percent in 2008 at the Port Townsend Peninsula College branch.

Despite 10 percent budget cuts in the past two years, enrollment is climbing, a result of the flagging economy, much of it those who have been laid off and are in retraining programs, Keegan said.

“It is putting pressure on our faculty and staff,” he said, adding that faculty members have taken on additional students “without batting an eye.

“My concern is how we can sustain that pace.”

Tuition is up about 7 percent, recently approved by the state Legislature, he said, which covers some of the enrollment increase.

The main Port Angeles campus has raised $120 million for a new Science and Technology building.

Keegan said Peninsula College’s economic benefits to Jefferson County in 2009 were $1.13 million in salaries and benefits for 65 employees, $782,325 in student financial aid for 250 students and $156,185 in goods and services.

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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.