Fall 1968
FRCC opens its doors. (Original name: Community College of Denver-North Campus)
CCD holds its first classes in temporary quarters at East 62nd Avenue and Downing Street on the outskirts of Denver. This eventually becomes CCD’s North Campus.
Fall 1969
The college adds space as it grows.
Due to growth in enrollment, some classes are held four blocks away in rented space at the Denver Merchandise Mart. Throughout the year, the college adds 47,000 square feet with construction of the East Building, expansion of the Industrial Building, and construction of a greenhouse
Fall 1970
And grows…
To help cope with the continued enrollment increases, the college soon spreads to more than a dozen off-campus locations, including schools, banks and even other colleges. The expansion continues with the addition of six “relocatable” buildings (also known as trailers).
Summer 1971
The Lowry Building arrives at CCD-North.
Lowry Air Force Base has surplus barracks buildings—and donates one to CCD-North, which helps solve the need for more classrooms. Moving the building to campus provides two “instant” classrooms (and some badly needed storage space).
Fall 1974
Veterans are welcome here (but parking is a challenge for everyone).
At CCD-N, military veterans—some just returning home from Vietnam—make up approximately 38 percent of the student body. In October, a group of students boycott the “pay parking lot,” objecting to an increase in parking fees to 35 cents from 25 cents.
Fall 1977
CCD-N moves to its permanent home in Westminster.
The college moves to a new solar-heated facility on 160 acres just north of 112th Avenue. Built at the height of the energy crisis, one of the principle design elements of the single-building complex is a massive solar heating system.
Summer 1983
CCD North Campus changes its name to Front Range Community College.
FRCC is still part of the Community College of Denver system, but on July 1, the North Campus officially becomes known as Front Range Community College. Discussions eventually lead to splitting up the CCD campuses, and they become known as individual colleges.
Summer 1985
Front Range Community College becomes an autonomous institution.
The three Denver community colleges are designated stand-alone institutions. Over the ensuing academic year, the Community College of Denver system is dissolved—leaving in its place the newly-independent FRCC, Red Rocks Community College and Community College of Denver.
Summer 1988
FRCC’s Larimer Campus opens.
The Larimer County Voc-Tec Center (LCVTC) merges with Front Range Community College to become FRCC’s Larimer Campus. The campus grew, offering a full schedule of academic courses in addition to occupational and technical programs.
Fall 1990
FRCC opens its Boulder Valmont Campus.
The campus is located in an office building at 2995 Wilderness Place. The college had been offering classes in Boulder since 1983.
Fall 1994
The Foundation is established.
The FRCC Foundation is incorporated to raise funds for student scholarships.
Winter 1995
The FRCC Longmont Campus opens.
The new campus, in rented space on North Main Street, fulfills a long-standing dream of Longmont residents and the local business community. From 1982 to 1994, FRCC had offered college classes to residents at Longmont High School and various other locations.
Summer 1995
FRCC offers its first online classes.
Because of enrollment growth at the Larimer Campus, FRCC also begins offering classes in the old Fort Collins High School building on Remington Street, which becomes known as the Remington Campus. (The campus reverted to the school district in July 1997, and is no longer part of FRCC.)
Fall 1996
The North Boulder Campus opens.
Having outgrown its Wilderness Place location, FRCC’s Boulder Valmont Campus moves to a standalone site in Boulder’s Gunbarrel area. It is renamed the North Boulder Campus.
Winter/Spring 1997
A new campus center opens for Westminster students.
At the Westminster Campus, the Computer Commons opens and full food service begins, with the new campus center being dedicated to longtime employee Orlando Trujillo. Due to prohibitive maintenance costs, the original solar panels are removed from the building, replaced with conventional heat.
Fall 1998
FRCC’s campuses renovate and expand as enrollment increases.
The Longmont Campus doubles in size—and at the Westminster Campus, a new Campus Center and the joint-use College Hill Library are added. At the Larimer Campus, a renovated portion of the Mount Antero Building opens—and the new Challenger Point, Longs Peak Student Center, and joint-use Harmony Library are added.
Winter 1999
The Brighton Center opens.
The site is originally housed in the former Adams County Justice Center (now the Community Education Center). FRCC gets 10-year accreditation, and also joins the CCCOnline consortium (as part of Colorado’s Community College System) for online delivery of courses and degrees.
Fall 2001
More Larimer Campus buildings get makeovers.
At the campus in Fort Collins, renovation begins on Blanca Peak and part of Mount Antero.
Fall 2002
The Remington Campus closes.
This ends more than six years of renting space at the old Fort Collins High School.
Fall 2003
The current FRCC campus in Longmont opens.
The two existing Boulder County Campuses (one in the Gunbarrel area of Boulder and one in north Longmont) reach capacity. FRCC combines the two sites into one larger Boulder County Campus located near the intersection of Hover Road and the Diagonal (Highway 119) in southwest Longmont.
Winter 2008
The Brighton Center moves its current home.
It is now located in the newly-remodeled Brighton Learning and Resource Center, in the former Platte Valley Medical Center building that was renovated for FRCC and other educational and health resources.
Fall 2010
A new building opens in Fort Collins.
The Larimer Campus opens Sunlight Peak, its new science building.
Fall 2011
The Boulder County Campus completes a renovation.
The overhaul includes: new science and medical office technology labs; improvements to 16 general classrooms; creation of two new classrooms; expansion of the Geographic Information Systems lab; and reconfigured office space that allows more academic advisors, financial aid counselors and new faculty to meet with students.
Winter 2012
Westminster Campus opens a Student Services Welcome Center.
In the heart of the campus, a new Welcome Center greets students—allowing easy access to advising, testing, special services, financial aid, cashiers, admissions and records, and a 50-station computer commons.
Winter/Spring 2013
Students say “yes” to campus improvements.
Westminster Campus students approve a bond fee for parking lot safety improvements, including a new stop light, pedestrian walkways and additional close-in parking, as well as improvements to the Student Center.
Larimer Campus students approve a bond fee to contribute to funding $32 million in projects, including a new Integrated Technology Building and renovations to other buildings.
Winter/Spring 2015
Little Bear Peak building opens at the Larimer Campus.
As the first phase of the campus renovation and expansion, the new building houses Integrated Technology programs: Automotive Technology; Manufacturing and Energy Technology; and Welding Technology.
The Westminster Campus celebrates improvements to its Student Center.
The center houses more student-centered spaces, including a coffee bar, increased lounge space, quiet study rooms, an upgraded and expanded gym and fitness facility, and a multipurpose performance space.
Fall 2015
A new art building and greenhouse open in Westminster.
The South Classroom Building is renovated to become a visual-art center with a ceramics studio, a 3D lab and two 2D labs, as well as a general-purpose classroom and an outdoor kiln area. A new greenhouse includes a hands-on classroom. A portion of the exterior site is slated for use as a teaching lab for irrigation systems and landscape construction skills.