TRC's construction signals a brighter future for Sikeston

If you've driven by the location for the new Three Rivers College Sikeston campus, you've noticed some activity at long last.

Dirt is currently being moved in preparation for the Aug. 15 official ground-breaking.

I don't think we could overstate the importance and impact of this new Sikeston-based center for higher education.

TRCC will join the SEMO-Sikeston campus on the northern end of our community to provide a unique educational opportunity here.

Past Sikeston leaders have tried for years to attract a facility for higher education here and soon we'll have two!

But the TRCC Sikeston location will also usher in new development on the southern edge of Sikeston that will surely shape the landscape of this community for years to come.

The day will come when apartments, duplexes, private residences and retail outlets will surround the new TRCC campus.

It may be difficult to picture the eventual spectrum of development in that southern location but the possibilities are endless.

In our community's quest to highlight the positive aspects of Sikeston, rest assured the new development on and around that southern location will be a shining light in the not-too-distant future.

It clearly takes vision to see the potential. But it also takes years of hard work, intense planning and cooperation from several government levels to achieve this massive project.

Just as it took the same level of cooperation to bring the SEMO campus here not too long ago, the same level of effort has gone into the planning and execution of the new TRCC location.

We have long noted the need for a higher education facility here to provide the essential tools needed for our young people.

And now - or very soon - we'll have two.

People, business and industry look for different needs when they consider calling a community their new home.

High on that list would be educational facilities that are affordable, convenient and top-notch.

Welcome to the Sikeston of tomorrow!