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The new Blount County campus of Pellissippi State Community College is a work in progress.

The brick exterior walls are up. The roof is in place. Outside, there's no landscaping not yet. In lieu of lawn there is gravel and mud.

The interior consists of concrete floors, block walls and steel supports. Unpainted. Undecorated. Cold.

But for Blount Countians who have long awaited the new campus, the vision is beautiful and heart-warming. It holds the promise of prosperity. In nine months, the building will be bustling with 1,000 students, ready to build the future.

That's not soon enough, given that the new campus has been in the works for two decades. But persistence finally paid off. The delay was caused by the usual suspects -- lots of greenbacks allocated to other state projects over the years.

There's irony in that. If it wasn't for a dedicated Blount County educator and civic promoter, there would not be a Pellissippi State campus, as we know it today, in Knox County.

The forerunner to the college was STIK -- the State Technical Institute at Knoxville, established in 1974 and located in West Knoxville. It was a vocational school that served a need, but could be so much more. In the town that was home to the state's land grant university, the city's leadership did not pay much attention to STIK.

Officials at Roane State Community College in Roane County recognized that. They were willing to take over Knox County's responsibilities for educating students who wanted to continue their education beyond high school but were not ready to enroll in a four-year institution. City leadership at the time was willing to let Roane State assume the responsibility for filling the educational gap.

J.L. Goins -- an innovator in vocational education who went on to be president and CEO of the Blount Partnership before going into real estate — had a better idea. Instead of recounting all he did to spearhead the establishment of Pellissippi State Technical Community College, simply note this: The centerpiece structure of the PSCC campus on Hardin Valley Road has a familiar ring to many Blount Countians — J.L. Goins Administrative Building. That's proof enough of his impact.

Today, a new $22 million, 39½-acre campus of Pellissippi State is being prepared for students and faculty and staff at 2731 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway in Friendsville. The new campus is bingng partially funded through the sale of the existing Blount County Center the — former Bungalow Elementary School on Middlesettlements Road in Alcoa. The state is putting up $17.2 million.

The rest of the cost is being raised by private individuals and businesses. The college's Connecting Communities, Changing Lives campaign started with 10 volunteers and a $2 million fundraising goal. So far, volunteers have raised $1.85 million.

The new campus will have two entrances and 600 parking spaces. The building under construction is 70,000 square feet. The campus will have a 100-seat auditorium, manufacturing/technology area, art studio, nursing rooms, microbiology labs and many other classrooms. Physical education space and a game room will also be available.

There are already plans for more — a fountain, permanent pavers, an amphitheater.

It is already anticipated the new campus will be so popular that infrastructure is being prepared to accommodate portable classrooms later.

It's about education. It's about the future. It's about time.