Young said "We're just about done," calling it a "very successful project." He said furniture will start being moved in on Monday, with other equipment timed to move in over the summer.
Included in the tour was a lecture hall, shown above, that will be available for community use when not needed for instruction. Academy Administrator Donneta Spath said she's been getting calls from groups interested in using the facilities.
When the school opens, high school students will mix with Skagit Valley College students in classes in marine technology, just one of the 8 programs the Academy operates. The other 7 programs, including culinary arts, finance, medical, dental and DigiPen computer science are on the Skagit Valley College campus.
Spath told the 3 Anacortes School Board member who attended the tour that there are 24 seats per 3-hour class session, with morning and afternoon classes set for the fall.
Young said one of the exciting features of the new marine skills center is below ground. He said there are 52 geothermal wells under the skills center's parking lot to help provide heating and cooling. He called the new building a 'green' building because of the use of energy-saving technologies.
The marine skills center was funded entirely by the state, according to Anacortes School Superindent Chris Borgen. Total cost was around $6 million.
More information on the Northwest Career & Technical Center is available at their Web site.