Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon is moving ahead with plans for a major new regional center in Marcus — a project college leaders say will expand hands‑on career training across rural northwest Iowa.
The Marcus center will be NCC’s third regional site, joining existing facilities in Sheldon and Sioux Center. It’s scheduled to open in the fall of 2027 and will offer career pathways in engineering, design, education and health, along with welding instruction already underway at MMCRU High School in Marcus.
NCC purchased the former Hometown Guesthouse hotel on Eagle Avenue in Marcus earlier this year, using a $1 million state grant to secure the property and begin the full renovation.
The former hotel gives NCC a larger footprint than a new build would have offered, along with existing infrastructure such as parking, sewer and electrical service. Plans call for classrooms, a computer lab, CNA training and testing areas, office space, an alternative high school classroom and student lounge areas. The college is also exploring future additions, including a Morton‑style building behind the center where students could learn construction skills by assembling modular home components.
NCC officials say the Marcus center is designed to serve students from MMCRU, South O’Brien, Kingsley‑Pierson and River Valley, with additional districts welcome as enrollment grows. Regional centers allow high school students to earn college credits and industry‑recognized credentials — such as CNA certification or OSHA‑10 Safety — while reducing travel time and lowering the overall cost of higher education.
The project now moves into the next phase. CMBA Architects of Sioux City is finalizing renovation plans, which are expected to go before the NCC board of trustees for approval in late August. Once approved, the project will go out for bid, with construction likely to begin this winter. NCC hopes to award contracts in September to keep the timeline on track for a 2027 opening.
