Jefferson County is about to get a permanent, full-time college center.

On Friday, Jan. 16 an agreement was signed by Luke Robins, president of Peninsula College, Port Townsend Mayor David King and the board of the Fort Worden Public Development Authority (FWPDA) that shifts this long-discussed, long-delayed project into high gear.

The project will turn a little-used, 14,000-square-foot barracks building adjacent to the parade ground at Fort Worden State Park into a multiuse college building with eight computer-equipped classrooms, faculty office space, student lounge space and seminar meeting rooms. The building renovation project is expected to be put out to bid by Peninsula College in the next two or three weeks, and ground could be broken by the spring of 2015, with doors opening in 18-24 months.

You can see our college-center-to-be by driving into Fort Worden and parking in front of the second barracks building to the right of the four-way-stop intersection. Look for the sign that reads, “Future home of Peninsula College.”

It brings us more than a building. It brings a fully wired college center housing existing and new college courses. It makes it more likely that Jefferson County residents can obtain a degree without leaving the county. (Today, a Jefferson County resident is half as likely as a Clallam County resident to attend college, due to the lack of facilities here at home.) It increases the engagement and participation of Peninsula College in Jefferson County. Space unused by Peninsula College in this building can be used by others. The backstory to how this finally happened is long, but as a participant both through the Jefferson Higher Education Committee and as a member of the FWPDA, I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version.

Some 17 years ago, higher education promoters crystallized a local goal to dramatically boost adult education in Jefferson County, which was singled out via data analysis to be the most under-served county in Washington state in terms of participation in college programs. Joe Finnie, Phyllis Solomon, Patience Rogge, Lloyd and Roberta Frissell, Catharine Robinson, Michelle Sandoval, Katherine Baril, Deb Johnson and myself were among those at the beginning.

Members of this group managed to convince a state agency to fund a pilot project that became the Jefferson Education Center, located at the Shold Business Park, which hired Matt Lyons as a full-time college counselor and master networker. For a decade, he brought in programs from regional and distant colleges to fill identified needs.

About six years ago, Building 202 was identified as a possible permanent college center, and was championed by Peninsula College’s then-president, Tom Keegan. Four years ago, the Legislature was heavily lobbied by Keegan and several local supporters – Dave Robison, then-Mayor Sandoval, City Manager David Timmons, Joe Finnie and myself among them. The 24th District delegation came through – Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam, Rep. Steve Tharinger and Rep. Kevin Van De Wege of Sequim – as did the then-chair of the state Senate capital budget committee, Derek Kilmer, now our U.S. congressman. The result was a set-aside of $4.3 million for the project.

City officials led by Timmons, Mayor King and Sandoval decided to invest in this project to show the city’s commitment, and earmarked $500,000 for it. “Failure,” said Timmons more than once, “is not an option.” Peninsula College’s new president, Robins, climbed on board, and his staff obtained another $700,000 in state grant funds. Local college trustee Julie McCulloch helped firm up the college’s commitment to a local building. In May 2014, the FWPDA took over management of the Fort Worden campus and, guided by chair Cindy Finnie and executive director Robison, named Building 202 its cornerstone capital project.

Ways to fund a gap of about $500,000 was the focus over the most recent few months, and the Friday agreement marked the path. The parties all agree to pursue federal tax credits that would actually provide up to $900,000 if this approach gets the blessing of state budget officials. If that fails, then the college and the combination of the city and FWPDA agree to split the difference and fill the gap.

For some years, one of the most sagacious ways to describe Port Townsend was as “a college town without a college.” Thanks to many years of persistence and – finally – partnership, we’re about to get a start.

– Scott Wilson