Florida Gateway College announced on October 7, 2026 that it received a $3 million federal grant to develop a Building Construction Technology Center in Lake City, Florida. The college calls the five-year award the largest federal grant in its history. The project combines renovation of an existing campus building with a new 4,800-square-foot construction-lab addition. It will include teaching equipment, HVAC and exhaust systems, plus electrical and IT upgrades, according to the college announcement. FGC plans two stackable credentials: a Building Construction Specialist certificate and a Building Construction Technology Associate in Science degree. Stackable means students can progress between credentials; it does not mean a job or apprenticeship placement is guaranteed. The first grant year is funded at $1,583,000 for renovation and the lab's concrete pad. The college plans to build the addition, buy equipment and develop curriculum in the second year. It expects classes to begin in year three, likely fall 2028, with later grant years supporting instruction and growth. For prospective trainees, the news is funded program development rather than an enrollment opening. The announcement does not supply an application deadline, tuition price or wage guarantee. The total grant supports facilities and programs; it is not a promise of direct payments to each student. Students interested in construction training in rural North Florida should distinguish today's award from the later launch of instruction. The expected fall 2028 schedule remains a plan until the college publishes enrollment details.