GLASGOW, Ky. — An empty field off Veterans Outer Loop is poised to become the future home of Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College’s Glasgow allied health campus.

Dozens of community leaders, dignitaries and college staff gathered Thursday afternoon at the site near Exit 8 on the Cumberland Parkway for a ceremonial groundbreaking.

“This piece of ground may look like just dirt today, but in a few moments, we’re going to turn that dirt with the flip of a shovel. We’re investing in a vision and embracing the possibilities of what’s next for this part of Kentucky,” said Dr. Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

While the property remains undeveloped, officials marked the moment by turning the first mound of dirt, signaling the start of construction. The Glasgow project is one of three capital projects secured in 2025.

Currently, SKYCTC operates out of the former Glasgow tuberculosis sanatorium on State Avenue, near T.J. Samson Hospital.

“Several years ago, when we went to the General Assembly to advocate for this, we were talking about the needs of this community, not the wants,” Quarles said.

Officials praised the investment in an allied health campus, saying it will support workforce development and strengthen the region’s economy.

“I think one of the great things about our graduates is that the vast majority of those that graduate with us stay in the local communities from which they come from,” he said.

Quarles also credited Barren County Judge/Executive Jamie Byrd and Glasgow Mayor Henry Royse for their advocacy in Frankfort.

“This truly was an example of how when everyone's on the same page and advocating for the same thing, we can have success,” Quarles said.

State Rep. Steve Riley recalled touring the current nursing facilities about six years ago.

“I'll be honest. I was appalled,” Riley said. “They were working, doing all the great stuff they were doing in a 1970s style facility.”

Riley said he worked alongside fellow lawmakers, including Sen. David Givens, to secure funding for a new facility in Barren County.

“This is among many of the wins we're getting in Glasgow and Barren County right now,” Riley said. “Nursing has a special place in my heart because my wife is a retired nurse, serving in the profession for 40 years. I believe that nurses are among God's angels on earth.”

Givens was unable to attend due to prior commitments, Riley said.

Sen. Mike Wilson spoke on behalf of Senate leadership, noting the scale of competing priorities during the most recent legislative session.

“I can tell you that this really rose to the top as one of our priorities of the needs in our state,” Wilson said of the $90 million allocated toward the project.

Mayor Royse described the project as an expansion of opportunity, reflecting on a time when higher education options in the community were far more limited.

“This certainly provides opportunities that we can take advantage of that we never did dream of having the opportunity to do so,” he said.

Before SKYCTC, the Glasgow LPN Nursing School opened as a vocational program in 1958 on the same campus still in use today.

Royse, who has served on T.J. Regional Health’s board of directors for 27 years, said the college has played a key role in building the local healthcare workforce, particularly following nursing shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The side effects of the efforts of SKYCTC has been that Glasgow has become a medical hub for quality care, attracting outstanding physicians, specialties and well-educated nurses.”

Dr. Jimmy Isenberg, former dean of the nursing program, attended Thursday’s ceremony and was recognized for laying the foundation for the program’s recent successes, including an accreditation announced at the groundbreaking.

“We rank among the most elite in the county, not just the state of Kentucky,” said Dr. Michelle Trawick, president and CEO of Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College.

JRA Architects helped design the facility, which will offer healthcare training, general education and business classes.

A timeline for completion of the facility has not yet been finalized.