Mountain View College is  presenting $54 million in new construction on its campus with a ribbon cutting at 4 p.m. today. There are two new buildings — a 23,000-square-foot economic workforce development building and a 68,000-square-foot student services building. The Dallas County Community College District campus also renovated its performance hall. The funding comes from a $450 million bond package that Dallas County voters approved in 2004.

On a visit to Mountain View last year to get a copy of my transcripts, the campus was barely recognizable from when I got my basics there in the 90s. "You should see it now," says Mountain View spokesman Kelly Kirkpatrick. "It has changed the whole look of the campus."

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The $12.6 million student services building houses admissions, counseling, career services, testing, academic advising, financial aid, the bookstore and a restaurant. The economic workforce development center will serve as an "incubation center" for start-up businesses.

Mountain View set an attendance record this semester with more than 8,000 students enrolled. And they’ve set new attendance records in three of the last four semesters, Kirkpatrick says.