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Beaufort County Community College has awarded the contract for construction of its new 5,000-square-foot facility in Aurora, N.C., to A.R. Chesson Construction, marking a key milestone for the $3 million project. Construction is expected to be completed by April 2026.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Cayton Regional Center, designed by JKF Architecture, was made possible through a $2.5 million State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) Directed Grant from the North Carolina General Assembly.

The new facility will serve as a training center for contractors supporting operations at the Nutrien phosphate mine. It will also offer high school equivalency (GED) and English Language Acquisition (formerly ESL) classes. The college expects the project to strengthen workforce development and spur economic growth in Aurora and southeastern Beaufort County.

“This gives us an opportunity to serve an underserved region of the county and of our service region,” said Dr. Dave Loope, BCCC President. “We’ve been looking for a way to have more of a presence in southeastern Beaufort County and Richland Township because of the transportation and childcare issues that prevent residents from traveling to campus.”

The college will build the facility on 3.89 acres in the new Aurora Industrial Park. This marks the first time BCCC has constructed a facility on land not contiguous to its main campus. While the college currently operates satellite locations in Beaufort, Washington, and Hyde Counties, those buildings are owned by the respective counties.

A.R. Chesson Construction, which previously partnered with the college on its Boat Manufacturing Center, will lead the project’s construction.

The building is named in honor of the late Rev. Dr. Robert B. Cayton, a lifelong Aurora resident and former Chair of the BCCC Board of Trustees. Cayton served as Chair from 2018 until his passing in May 2022. He first joined the board in 1991 and was reappointed in 2016.

In addition to GED and English language instruction, the center will offer customized training for Nutrien and affiliated contractors. These trainings are currently held on BCCC’s main campus in Washington. The new location—directly across from the Nutrien plant—will provide more convenient access for local workers.

“The college offers a significant amount of customized training to Nutrien already, as well as with its contractors,” said Loope. “We serve over 400 Nutrien employees annually, in addition to hundreds more from its contractor base. This new facility brings training directly to where they work.”

Aurora Mayor Cliff Williams and N.C. House Representative Keith Kidwell were instrumental in securing the SCIF grant through the General Assembly. The funding comes from the state’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds distributed in 2021.

Once completed, the center will be staffed by a new part-time employee, with instructors rotating in from the main campus as needed.

“This facility will be a catalyst for growth in the region,” said Loope. “We’re proud to partner with the Town of Aurora, Nutrien, JKF Architecture, and A.R. Chesson Construction to make it happen.”