CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Cabarrus County voters turned down a $60 million bond for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College on Tuesday. Preliminary results from the county Board of Elections show 51.98% voted against it and 48.02% voted for it. The results are unofficial until the canvass is finished later in November.
The bond would have paid for a new Workforce Innovation Center of about 70,000 square feet at the college's South Campus in Concord. That project accounted for about $52.5 million. The other $7.5 million would have gone to renovating Building S201, the first building on the campus, which opened in 1990.
College leaders say the need for more space remains. Rowan-Cabarrus serves more than 23,600 students a year. Enrollment of Cabarrus County residents has grown 27.7% since 2020, while the county's population grew about 10.6%. The college also works with more than 300 employers in the region.
The college bought land for the center in 2018. Cabarrus County set aside money for architectural design in 2025.
The college says the vote changes how the project may be paid for, not whether it is needed. It plans to talk with county officials, trustees, state and federal legislators and community partners about options. No new funding plan or timeline has been announced.
"The election result changes how we move forward, but it does not change the need or our commitment to addressing it," said college President Dr. Carol S. Spalding.
