The first building for Columbus State Community College's Delaware County campus is taking shape.

The framework for the new learning center near the corner of U.S. Route 23 and Winter Road is up, and the roof and walls are being installed in northern Liberty Township.

"It's the Delaware campus' inaugural building," said Paul Goggin, interim director of facilities services. "The theme on the new building is, 'It's a great place to start.' Courses for a wide variety of associate degrees will be held there."

The building will be more than 80,000 square feet and will include 32 classrooms, computer and science labs, seminar rooms, a small caf with outdoor seating, counseling offices and a learning commons, where students can study independently or in groups.

The building was designed and is being constructed to achieve a gold or silver LEED certification, Goggin said.

LEED -- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design -- is a building rating system developed in the 1990s by the U.S. Green Building Council and National Resources Defense Council. It provides standards for environmentally conscious and sustainable construction.

The certification promotes environmental sustainability in building processes and materials.

Such buildings include highly efficient heating and cooling systems, interior materials that create a healthy environment and architecture that takes advantage of sunlight.

Goggin said the Columbus State site uses native species in the landscaping to reduce the amount of watering needed. It also uses energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems. The building's paints, adhesives and carpeting are nontoxic. Landscape drainage will be designed to remove silt and pollution from rain water.

CSCC bought the 108-acre site in 2004 and broke ground last summer. Campus development includes new sewer lines and streets, installing utilities and renovating an existing 9,400 square-foot office building for administrative use. The total cost has been estimated at about $24-million, Goggin said. The building is slated for completion in June 2010, with classes beginning that fall. CSCC rezoned the site in 2004 to planned commercial, which includes educational uses.

A large number of the CSCC's students come from northern Franklin County and Delaware and Union counties, Goggin said. The college anticipates serving 2,500 students in the new campus.

In addition to the main campus in downtown Columbus, the college operates at off-site locations including Dublin, Gahanna, Westerville, Groveport, Marysville, Grove City and Plain City.