East Los Angeles College (ELAC) has broken ground on a $22 million technology center aimed at accommodating growth in the tech sector. The project is part of a $200 million construction program funded in part by Proposition A, a bond measure passed by voters last year.

The tech center will encompass 10,000 square feet and will provide facilities for architecture, animation and graphic arts as well as computer application, business administration and other programs. The center, due for completion in January 2005, will feature fiber-optic cable wiring, high-speed digital access, space for computer labs, electronic broadcast facilities and animation studios.

ELAC’s sister campus, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATT), is undergoing a similar renovation with a new layout that will give the college a new entrance. LATT houses the Los Angeles Community College District’s fashion center.

ELAC’s renovation will also include a new fine arts and performing center, a math and science complex and upgrades to the nursing and administration buildings.

College officials said many of the old facilities are outdated and “lack the technology infrastructure needed to prepare students for success in high-tech fields.” ELAC is the largest of the nine colleges in the district. —Robert McAllister