The surprise announcement comes as the mayor’s “Colleges to Careers” plan prepares to convert Malcolm X into a college that prepares students to careers in health care.

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley built a new $256 million Kennedy King College and dreamed of doing the same at all city colleges. The new Malcolm X is part of a five-year, $479 million capital plan to upgrade the City Colleges that includes $7 million for so-called “smart classrooms,” libraries, labs science classrooms and student-support centers.

Another $135 million is to bankroll deferred maintenance. At a news conference at Malcolm X, the mayor said construction of the new college will create up to 2,000 construction jobs. Even more important, it will upgrade antiquated facilities.

Full article at Chicago Sun-Times