DMACC Receives $2 Million Investment in New Trades & Industry Center Building Project

DMACC announced Monday that U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) has secured a $2 million investment to support the College's new Trades & Industry Center, a state-of-the-art facility currently under construction on the northeast side of DMACC's Ankeny Campus.

"As Iowa's economy evolves, our classrooms and training programs need to evolve with it," Rep. Nunn said during the Monday morning press conference. "Whether it's advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, transportation, or public safety, this investment will help equip the next generation of Iowa workers with the skills, hands-on training, and career pathways Iowa employers need filled right now."

Expected to open in January 2027, the new facility will house five of DMACC's most in-demand programs: Building Trades, HVAC, Diesel Technology, Fire Science, and Iowa's only Ford Training Center.

As construction equipment at the site of the new building whirred in the background, Dr. Liang Chee Wee, Interim DMACC President, addressed the few dozen DMACC staff and faculty, community and business partners, and members of the news media gathered at the press conference, and thanked Rep. Nunn for his efforts to secure the federal allocation to DMACC via the Community Development Fund, which allows members of Congress to designate federal support for critical local initiatives.

"Our ongoing mission here at DMACC is to be among the national leaders in education and training, enabling DMAC to offer impactful opportunities for our students to excel, both in the classroom and in life," Wee said. "Our students represent the next generation of professionals who will keep our economy running, will build our homes and commercial facilities, keep us cool in the summer and warm in the winter, while also keeping us safe. This facility will give them the learning opportunities they deserve to rise to the challenge in their respective fields."

The $2 million investment will funnel from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was approved by the House Appropriations Committee earlier this year.

In November 2025, DMACC celebrated the groundbreaking of its new 72,000-square-foot Trades & Industry Center, a $34 million project designed to expand and modernize hands-on learning for high-demand career across Iowa.

The building will replace the aging Buildings 14 and 20, both built in the 1960s, and provide students with industry-standard labs, shared work bays with tools and large machinery, and modern classroom spaces.

"This facility is more than just infrastructure; it is a premier training hub designed to sharpen student skills through hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology," said Jenny Foster, Executive Academic Dean of DMACC's Trades, Transportation, Engineering and Manufacturing. "It will be a place where education and industry meet, where ideas are shared and where future employees learn. This is where students will learn what it means to show up to work on time, how to produce quality work, and how to work safely."

Jeanie McCarville-Kerber, Executive Academic Dean of DMACC Health Science & Fitness and Public & Community Service Pathways, underscored that the new DMACC Trades and Industry Center is fundamentally a public safety investment, expanding fire and EMS training capacity to meet the year over year increase in 911 calls across Iowa.

McCarville-Kerber emphasized that the facility's advanced simulation labs will better prepare first responders to handle real-world emergencies and protect communities statewide.

"By increasing our capacity for fire academies and the emergency medical training, we are ensuring that when someone dials 911, the safeguards that there is a responder who is trained to respond," McCarville-Kerber said. "This facility is an investment in readiness; it is investment in resilience, and above all, it is an investment in the people who run toward danger so the rest of us are safe."

DMACC continues fundraising efforts to support the project's long-term vision to power Iowa's workforce through hands-on, career-focused education.

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