Southern Pines Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an architectural compliance permit for a new workforce training building at Sandhills Community College, clearing the way for a facility that will consolidate the school's skilled-trades programs into a single modern complex. The building will rise on the site of an existing baseball field on campus, near the Dempsey Student Center and the McKean Campus Service Center.
Brian Tiede represented the architecture firm LS3P on behalf of the college at the meeting, presenting two possible versions of the project, according to Sandhills Sentinel. The base design covers 39,400 square feet and includes five high-bay labs, a computer lab, three classrooms and an administration suite. An alternate version expands the footprint to 45,100 square feet by adding a dedicated construction curriculum lab, and the college will decide between the two designs through the bidding process.
Both versions are meant to give students in construction, plumbing, mechanical systems, ductwork, electrical work, advanced manufacturing and welding modern instructional space, with plans also calling for an outdoor service yard where students can weld, grind and handle similar hands-on work. Tiede told the council the project meets state construction requirements while accounting for the college's budget limitations, and the design leaves room for future expansion, though any additions beyond what was approved will require another round of review by the town council.
Why the Design Needed Special Sign-Off
Town planning staff recommended approval of both designs even though they each require deviations from three standards in Southern Pines' unified development ordinance governing building dimensions, materials and roof design. The proposed structure includes wall segments that exceed the town's permitted dimensions, brick coverage below the required 80 percent on certain elevations, and uninterrupted rooflines longer than 200 feet.
Tiede said the design still incorporates campus arches and matching roofing materials while providing the clearances needed for specialized training equipment and instruction. Town planning staff backed the deviations, noting the building fits the campus's existing architecture and is screened from public roads by trees, while also weighing the specialized nature of workforce-training space against the college's budget constraints. Mayor Clement and other council members voiced support for the project and the career-training opportunities it represents.
A $25 Million Head Start From Raleigh
In September 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly set aside $25 million in the state budget for a new early college high school at Sandhills Community College, according to the Moore County Economic Development Partnership. That high school welcomed its first class in August 2025 with an inaugural class of 65 students working toward diplomas alongside college technical credentials, a cooperative venture between Moore County Schools and the college.
The three projects alone—VinFast and Wolfspeed, about 30 miles from Moore County, and Toyota, about 40 minutes from Southern Pines—would need more than 10,000 workers at full employment, according to the development partnership. That demand helps explain why the college restructured in July 2024 to create a dedicated Division of Workforce Development & Corporate Partnerships, aimed at aligning trades instruction directly with employer hiring needs, the college said on its workforce development site.
Part of a Wider Multi-County Push
The Southern Pines building is not an isolated move. In August 2026, the college expanded its trades footprint into neighboring Hoke County by leasing a dedicated Workforce Trades Building in Raeford for small engine repair and electrical classes, according to BizFayetteville. The college's service area spans both Moore and Hoke counties, and the Raeford lease reflects the same workforce strategy now taking shape on the Southern Pines ballfield.
The college also has a Breakthrough Construction Center at the Larry Caddell Training Center in Carthage. Beyond construction and manufacturing, Moore County businesses secured more than $25 million in Department of Defense prime contracts in 2023, and the college's military and dependent student population doubled in three years amid regional defense-sector growth, as reported by Business North Carolina.
Leadership and State Funding Context
Sandhills Community College, founded in December 1963 as North Carolina's first comprehensive community college, is led by Dr. Alexander “Sandy” Stewart, who took office in August 2023 as the institution's third president. The college operates its main campus in Pinehurst alongside satellite facilities across Moore and Hoke counties.
The trades expansion also lines up with Propel NC, the North Carolina Community College System's proposed funding model tied to programs leading to high-paying jobs in the area, according to The Assembly NC. The proposal is aimed at supporting programs that lead to high-paying jobs in the area.
