Central Florida Community College will open its doors to the Citrus County Learning and Conference Center on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The community is invited to the ribbon cutting and dedication of the new 36,000-square-foot facility, as well as the dedication of the Dorothea G. Jerome Building and nursing suite.

The celebration will begin at 1 p.m. at the Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway in Lecanto.

The Citrus Learning and Conference Center will increase Citrus Campus' instructional space by 80 percent, and includes:

• Seven fully equipped multipurpose classrooms, a large multidiscipline science lab and a state-of-the-art computer lab for college credit and corporate education courses
• 6,000 square feet of exhibit and conference space that will accommodate 250 participants in single or dual events
• A comprehensive student center with enrollment services, counseling and advising, financial aid, testing and computer stations.

The celebration also includes dedication of Building L2 to Dorothea G. Jerome, a longtime supporter of the college who passed away in 2005, and the nursing suite within the building. The suite is located in what used to be the Jerome Multipurpose Center, and includes a state-of-the-art laboratory and classroom for 24 students.

The lab is designed like a hospital room, and includes six beds with mannequins, a separate isolation room, observation/nurses station, built-in oxygen and suction, electronic intravenous and feeding pumps - and much more.

To RSVP for the event, call 352-249-1207, or e-mail hausheej@cf.edu.