POMEROY — The Meigs County Community Improvement Corporation has advertised for bids from contractors to build the new University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College Meigs Center, and construction is expected to begin this spring.

The deadline for bids is March 22. They will be opened that day at 2 p.m. at the economic development office.

The CIC plans to build the 10,000 square-foot center on property given by the Meigs Local Board of Education, between the high school and middle school. It will be leased to Rio Grande Community College. Meigs County Economic Development Director Perry Varnadoe said the cost of the new center is estimated at $2.2 million.

The site was selected because of its location on U.S. 33 and its proximity to the Meigs Local Schools, which university and school board officials hope will encourage students there and in other districts to take advantage of the post-secondary option which allows students to take college credit while still in high school.

Construction on the new center has been estimated to take between nine months and a year to complete, but Varnadoe said Friday the CIC hopes it will be completed by the end of 2007.

The new center will replace Rio Grande’s branch in Middleport, which is also space leased to the college by the CIC. The expanded facility will allow Rio Grande to increase course offerings to 55 per semester, add 10 bachelor’s degree courses in three years, add five master’s degree courses in classroom teaching, expand associate degree programs and add a general studies certificate program.