Butler County Community College has rented office space in downtown Butler for what has been described as a “living and learning center.”

BC3 agreed to rent office space on the second floor of the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources, 127 S. Main St., and was issued an occupancy permit last week.

“We are looking to make that move into a downtown location,” said Nick Neupauer, BC3 president, Tuesday. “It will be a nice initial presence in downtown Butler. We met with several organizations. We were looking for the perfect fit.”

BC3 currently offers continuing education classes in different locations downtown and is working to offer more classes downtown, Neupauer said.

Neupauer declined to provide details Tuesday on how the space will be used, but said those specifics will be released later this week.

“This will continue our focus with the ‘town and gown’ initiative in our strategic plan,” Neupauer said.

One of the school’s stated objectives in a five-year strategic plan created last year is to “enhance the college’s community engagement with a “town and gown” strategy that increases both BC3’s presence in the community and brings community members on campus.”

Following an April meeting of the BC3 board of trustees, Neupauer said the college would open a living and learning center to house classrooms and 10 to 15 student apartments in time for the fall 2019-20 semester, he said.

Mayor Ben Smith said Tuesday that he doesn’t know how BC3 is planning to use the space, but he is glad the school is opening a facility downtown.

“I think it’s a great addition to the city. I think it will be good for them and the city as a whole,” Smith said.