A project many years in the making will be celebrated Wednesday on the Vermilion campus of Minnesota North College.
That’s when Vermilion will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of a $3.6 million renovation and remodeling of the school’s classroom building.
The event is tentatively set for 5:45 p.m. and coincides with a visit to Ely by the State House Capital Investment Committee.
That group will hear more about numerous projects up for state bonding consideration (see related story), including Ely’s water main project, and the lawmakers will also get a firsthand look at the impact of a previous bonding project with the completion of the classroom renovation sat Vermilion.
Vermilion was a construction zone for much of the summer, as workers were completing a major overhaul to the classroom building, which was the result of funding included in the state bonding bill in 2024.
In addition to a new roof, there were restroom improvements and corridors re- ceived epoxy terrazzo flooring, wood panels, as well as new lighting and ceilings.
In two separate areas, two classrooms were combined into 45-seat single classrooms, while other classrooms got new flooring, ceiling and IT equipment.
New doors will be installed, while outside, a new front stairs from the parking lot to the campus buildings are being installed.
Several classrooms also have new furnishings including tables and chairs while a new campus-wide fire alarm control panel was also installed.
Vermilion is about a month into the new school year and the project has been very well received, according to campus director Aaron Bender.
“We just completed alumni weekend and we had several former students that went down there and checked everything out,” said Bender. “And some gave the classic line, ‘Sure, you do improvements like this once I leave.’ I think that’s a pretty positive response. And we’ve had the foundation and advisory board down there and of course our students and staff and it’s really made an impact. It was something that was much needed and it’s now much improved and appreciated.”
It took nearly a decade to go from being proposed, to securing funding, to the finished project that legislators will look at this week.
“It took a considerable amount of time,” said Bender. “There were a lot of individuals in my kind of role at the campus who were invested behind it.”
As part of Minnesota North, Vermilion is part of a single unified college with five separate campuses - joining Itasca (Grand Rapids), Mesabi (Virginia/ Eveleth), Rainy River (International Falls) and Hibbing.
The merger came in response to overall declines in student population and is geared at streamlining operations as well as offering students additional opportunities.
Vermilion is known for its niche programming - an array of courses and degree programs that focus on the natural environment.
In contrast with many community colleges, which rely heavily on graduates from nearby high schools, Vermilion is unique as a two-year school that gets its students predominantly from outside the area and who live on campus. Enrollment at Vermilion this fall up from 2024-25.
