BUTLER TWP — Butler County Community College is closer to a new student services building.

The state has put the project on its list of capital funding projects for community colleges.

President Cynthia Azari said the 30,000-square-foot building will house admissions, financial aid, the book store, student life, registration, tutoring and counseling under one roof. Currently, those services are scattered across campus.

The building also will likely include some common areas with Internet wireless hot spots, Azari said. The lounge areas in the campus' newest building, the Science, Technology and Cultural Center, are highly used, and Azari would like to see more on campus.

"I think it will be good for students to get these services at one central location," she said Tuesday. She learned that the project had been placed on the state's list in late October.

To proceed with the plan, the college will need approval from the board of trustees, expected Dec. 6. The final plan will be sent to the state in January.

The first part of the construction process will be to remove a drive that cuts through the center of campus, Azari said. She said that drive, which goes past the administration building, has always concerned her because of a sharp bend and a danger to blind students. Traffic will instead be forced to circle the perimeter of the campus.

Then the building can be built in what is now a visitor parking lot along the drive.

The project is expected to cost $6.6 million, Azari said. The state will cover half the cost.