Orange Coast College officially opened the doors of its brand-new Professional Mariner Training Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 24. City, local and state elected officials — including Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, and State Senator Dave Min — gathered alongside OCC and Coast Community College District and student leaders at the new maritime training facility, which is part of OCC’s recently re-branded Newport Beach Waterfront Campus.
“[The Professional Mariner Training Center] opens the realm of possibilities for students who may not have otherwise thought about a career as a mariner,” said OCC President Angelica Suarez.
OCC’s Professional Mariner Training Center will serve as the new home for the College’s Professional Mariner program, which prepares students for careers in the boating and maritime industry. The new building is two stories tall, and includes classroom and laboratory space, a radar training room, conference room, student lounge, and a Full Mission Bridge simulator, valued at approximately $500,000.
“This turns the corner from community sailors and sailing safety programs to more of a commercial training,” said Jim Moreno, president of the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees.
The $22 million project was funded through Measure M, a bond measure passed by voters in 2012.
Supporters of the program were on hand at the ribbon cutting ceremony, including donor Kit Mueller, whose donation helped fund the “Lee Borden Milbank Navigation Laboratory” classroom. Representatives from the OC Sanitation District, who worked with the College to make the land acquisition possible, attended the event, as well as Larry Frapwell, president of HPI Architecture, the firm that designed the building.
Photos of the event can be viewed on OCC’s Flickr page.