The community is invited to the official dedication of the Curry County Campus of Southwestern Oregon Community College starting at 2 p.m. Friday. The celebration and open house will include tours of the building and refreshments. The Pilot/Jef Hatch

The public will be given tours of the new Southwestern Oregon Community College Curry Campus beginning at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27.

The facility, touted as a “campus within a building,” can be seen atop a hill from Highway 101 between Rainbow Rock and Lone Ranch Beach on land donated by the U.S. Borax Corp. The Curry Campus is located on Lone Ranch Parkway, a new street that will eventually be extended to serve future development.

In addition to the parking at the campus, visitors may also park at the Harris Beach Rest Area where Curry Public Transit will supply shuttle service at 15 minute intervals from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and then ever half hour until 6 p.m.

 The two-story, 26,785-square-foot building includes seven classrooms – some of them with special designs for science, art and nursing – as well as a one-stop counseling center, a computer lab, community meeting room, offices, a student store and lounge equipped with wireless Internet.

The $6 million building was designed by Michael Crow of Crow/Clay & Associates of Coos Bay and constructed by Ausland Builders of Medford. Furnishings and equipment were not included in the building budget. These were paid for with the help of community grants.

Construction began in the summer of 2010 and was scheduled to open in time for the fall term 2011 as well as the college’s 50th anniversary celebration. However, construction was hampered by stubborn rocks and the opening was delayed until the winter term, which began Jan. 9.

Classes are already taking place in the building.

For information about classes and what the college has to offer, call 541-469-5017 or visit www.socc.edu/ curry.