PORT TOWNSEND — With an eye toward expanding educational programs in Jefferson County, Peninsula College plans to remodel a more spacious historic Fort Worden State Park building after $6 million is raised.

Addressing the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce, college President Tom Keegan said the relocation could take place as early as the summer of 2011.

Funding should be available to commence construction after summer 2009, he said.

The two-year community college branch is now located inside the 8,000-square-foot old schoolhouse adjacent to Fort Worden State Park Commons.

“It is limiting to us,” Keegan, told about 50 attending the chamber’s weekly luncheon Monday.

Keegan advised business leaders that if there is employment training to be had, Peninsula College would provide it. 

“We’re very interested in serving the needs of businesses,” he said, which could be even better done with an expanded branch space.

Jackie Jardine-Moore, who took over as Port Townsend dean of continuing education eight months ago, said the college branch’s full-time student enrollment has jumped to 172.9 during the current spring quarter from 115.9 in 2007.

As planned, the 20,000-square-foot Fort Worden Building 202, about 150 yards south of the schoolhouse, would be remodeled into a facility similar to that at the main Port Angeles site.

It would include a student lounge, a bookstore, a small library and expanded classrooms and learning and work-training labs, said Keegan.

Beginning in about two months, Keegan said the college should begin a campaign to raise about $2 million from public and private sources.

The plan is to match it with $4 million more from the state Legislature and state parks, equaling about $2 million from each.

The Port Townsend college expansion project was ranked No. 2 on the Legislature’s list of 40 to 50 projects statewide needing funding.

In other Port Townsend Peninsula College news, Keegan introduced Danille Turissini with the economic development agency, Team Jefferson, as director of Peninsula College’s new Community Leadership program, starting in September.

The program will train between 15 and 25 entry-level or middle-management students a year who aspire to be community leaders.

“Folks that want to lead, want to lead the community for years to come,” said Keegan, adding that they would be taken to communities around the North Olympic Peninsula from Neah Bay to Port Townsend to learn about transportation, health care, safety and other issues affecting communities.

The students would build a network of professional friends and colleagues that will help the students better understand that the issues are complex.

The program advisory committee includes Bill Wise, Team Jefferson, Katherine Baril, WSU Port Hadlock extension director; and Larry Crockett, Port of Port Townsend executive director.