For former County Executive Isaiah “Ike” Leggett and his wife, Catherine, the opening of the new $104 million math and science building at Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus on Thursday was emotional.
“Ike and I are incredibly elated and thankful for the naming,” Catherine Leggett said in a statement. “It is incredibly humbling to be a part of this, a building that will have thousands of students in it.”
The community college officially opened the Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science building Thursday, bringing together community members and elected officials to celebrate the new three-story facility at 7600 Takoma Ave. in Takoma Park.
Local and state politicians came out to celebrate the opening, including Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, who formerly represented District 15 in the Maryland House of Delegates where she advocated for funding for the new building.
“I’m a civil engineer, I am a STEM major, and I can’t wait to see the possibilities … for the students here,” Miller said.
The new 108,000-square-foot STEM building opened for classes on Sept. 3, allowing students to use the 20 advanced labs, eight classrooms, a math and science learning center, a cybersecurity center, an atrium and a greenhouse.
The building was named after the Leggetts in honor of their philanthropic support, a theme highlighted during the ceremony. Ike Leggett, a Democrat, retired in December 2018 after serving three four-year terms as county executive.
Montgomery College President Jermaine Williams said during Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony that the project encompassed several years of effort to improve the classroom environment and equipment for STEM students.
“[Students will get] opportunities that can change their lives,” Williams said. “[Stakeholders] are deeply committed to ensuring students … have access to a state-of-the-art math and science building and a path toward a bright future.”
The new STEM building replaces former campus buildings Falcon Hall, Science South and a greenhouse. According to a 2017 letter from the former college President DeRionne Pollard, Falcon Hall and Science South buildings were old, out of date and didn’t meet instructional requirements.
According to Montgomery College, the Leggett building will host astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, math and physics courses. The building includes a planetarium with 100 moveable seats, general and organic chemistry labs, biology labs and an environmental ecology lab with a greenhouse.
In her statement, Catherine Leggett said she and her husband were “incredibly grateful” to be part of the building project. “To [former college president] Dr. Pollard and everyone who helped bring this building to fruition, this is a day we will remember forever,” she said.
According to a statement from Montgomery College, funding for the building was provided by the county and the state.
Creation of the building’s design started in 2018 after the college’s Board of Trustees approved a contract with the Washington, D.C.-based integrated design firm, SmithGroup. The college also partnered with LINK Strategic Partners in Washington, D.C., for a series of meetings to determine community needs and input into the plan.
Montgomery College also has campuses in Germantown and Rockville. The community college also operates workforce development and continuing education centers and off-site programs throughout the county.
