Colorado Mountain College’s Rifle Campus has purchased a 25,000-square-foot building at 2195 S. 10th St. for about $2.4 million, with plans to turn it into a regional skilled trades center serving western Colorado, according to a May 26 news release. 

CMC expects to begin offering programs at the new facility as soon as this fall and to move quickly to implement interior improvements needed before classes begin.

The new facility is expected to support programs such as construction trades, HVAC, diesel technology, automotive technology and other high-demand skilled trades that regional employers struggle to fill.

The purchase gives CMC a faster and less expensive path toward expanding skilled trades education in the Rifle area. The college had previously explored constructing a new skilled trades facility near Rifle at a projected cost approaching $70 million, according to the release.

CMC said in the release that support for skilled trades training has been longstanding in the Colorado River Valley, where current welding and automotive classes are in such high demand that they often reach waitlist status. 

Voter restored CMC’s flexibility for investing in workforce training programs, first responders and nurses, and student and employee housing in November 2025 after ballot measure 7C was approved. More than 70% of CMC district voters approved the measure, according to the release.

CMC also intends to develop two other regional skilled trades centers across its district, with other planned locations in Leadville and Steamboat Springs.