Progress being made on TCAT building projects in Oneida and Jamestown
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Progress being made on TCAT building projects in Oneida and Jamestown
ONEIDA — Construction is progressing quickly on two new buildings on Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville’s Oneida campus, as well as on the
A look inside the expansive diesel shop in the new diesel technology building on the Oneida campus.
Construction crews work on the exterior of the TCAT wing at the new Fentress County Higher Education Center in Jamestown.
new campus in Jamestown that will be shared with Roane State Community College.
Collectively, the projects represent more than $40 million in new buildings and equipment as part of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s commitment to technical education in the Volunteer State.
The first building to be completed will be a new diesel technology facility on the Oneida campus, which will be ready to move into during the fall trimester, which begins Sept. 2. The actual completion of the facility is slated for October. After that, the second building at Oneida will be completed in February 2026. Finally, the Fentress County Higher Education Center — a shared campus between TCAT and Roane State Community College — will be completed in April 2026.
The diesel technology building at TCAT Oneida is located on the northeast corner of campus, adjacent to the lineman training yard. It will house the Diesel-Powered Equipment Technology program, the Power Line Construction and Maintenance program, and the Truck Driving program.
TCAT Oneida/Huntsville’s Power Line Construction and Maintenance program is widely recognized as one of the premiere lineman training programs in the region and draws students from Memphis to the Tri-Cities to Oneida to complete the pre-apprentice training. The Truck Driving program compliments the lineman program, providing training for not only commercial truck drivers but also helping power line students and other students obtain their CDL. Finally, the Diesel-Powered Equipment Technology program compliments both of those programs and others by servicing TCAT’s fleet of vehicles — including the lineman program’s bucket trucks and the Earthmoving Equipment Operator program’s skid steer, excavator, and dozer.
The new building will include covered parking for seven trucks in the lineman program, as well as two classrooms that will accommodate up to 50 students, instructor office space and two bays for lineman trucks. It will also include six truck bays for the diesel program, a classroom that will accommodate up to 40 students, and space for two trainer engines. There will be a shared wash bay. There will also be a classroom and office space for the trucking program, including a testing room with computers and a training room, and an area for TCAT’s truck driving simulator.
The overall size of the facility will be more than 17,000 square feet, with a price tag of approximately $8.5 million.
The second Oneida building
The second new building at TCAT Oneida will be located on the southeast side of campus, fronting Burchfield Avenue. It is a $9.2 million project that was part of Gov. Lee’s more than $1 billion investment into the state’s TCATs that was announced last year.
The facility will connect to the existing building. It will include classroom space and labs — or shop areas — for Building Construction Technology and Industrial Maintenance/Mechatronics, as well as a proposed Aviation Mechanic program. It will also include a student lounge and restroom facilities.
Together, the new buildings represent the ongoing revitalization of the Oneida campus. The first building on the campus was constructed in 1967. However, following the construction of the Huntsville campus 30 years later, most programs left the Oneida campus, and it even closed briefly from 1999 to 2001.
Since 2006, the Oneida campus has grown to include 10 programs. In addition to Power Line Construction and Maintenance, Diesel-Powered Equipment Technology, Truck Driving, Earthmoving Equipment Operator, Building Construction Technology and Industrial Maintenance/Mechatronics, programs offered at Oneida include Pharmacy Technology, Criminal Justice: Correctional Officer, Nursing Aide, and Emergency Medical Technology.
The Fentress County Higher Education Center
The Fentress County Higher Education Center is located on Old Highway 127 South in Jamestown, and will house both TCAT Oneida/Huntsville and Roane State Community College.
The new campus will include administrative office space and student services office space for both colleges, as well as a community room. It will include classroom and lab space for Manufacturing Technology, Building Construction Technology, Diesel-Powered Equipment Technology and Allied Health. Each of the classrooms will include space for up to 20 students.
The facility will also include a testing center and computer lab.
Outside, the campus will include a training yard for TCAT’s new Telecommunications and Underground Construction Technology class that is slated to begin in 2026.
Other programs offered by TCAT Oneida/Huntsville in Fentress County include Automotive Technology, Emergency Medical Technology, Farming Operations Technology, Phlebotomy Technology, Practical Nursing, and Welding Technology.
For more information about TCAT’s programs, call (423) 663-4900 or visit tcatoneida.edu.