College students construct North Platte home

As the demand for housing within the North Platte city limits continues to soar, Mid-Plains Community College students have stepped in to help ease some of the demand.

A project house, currently under construction at 2121 Iron Eagle Court, is being built by students within the building construction, electrical and heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) technology programs to gain hands-on, real-world experience.

“Being offsite and allowing students to experience all the different trades has helped make this a well-rounded experience for students,” said Ash Thompson, building construction instructor. “They get to watch all of the different programs work firsthand and learn what it takes to build an entire house.”

The project house is being constructed in a partnership with Chief Construction and Bortner and Sons Construction, LLC. The one level home will feature 1,720 square feet of livable space, an oversized living room, electric fireplace, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage.

Students within the building trades programs began the process of framing the house, installing heating and cooling ventilation, running electrical and installing windows throughout the fall semester.

The work has shifted to the interior of the house, as the construction is expected to be completed by the fall. Once construction has been completed, the house will be listed as an available home for purchase in North Platte.

Cutline: Chase Moorhead, of Hershey, and Tallin Schauda, of Broken Bow, install kitchen tile in the project house.