Beaufort County Community College (Beaufort CCC) has awarded the construction contract for its new Rev. Dr. Robert Cayton Regional Center in Aurora, N.C. to A.R. Chesson Construction, marking a major milestone in the $3 million project. Construction is scheduled to be completed by April 2026.
The 5,000-square-foot workforce training center, designed by JKF Architecture, is funded through a $2.5 million State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) Directed Grant from the North Carolina General Assembly. The new facility is expected to boost workforce development and expand access to education and job training in southeastern Beaufort County.
Training for Contractors and Adult Learners in Aurora
The Cayton Center will serve as a training hub for contractors supporting operations at the nearby Nutrien phosphate mine. It will also offer high school equivalency (GED) and English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes, expanding adult education options for residents in the region.
“This gives us an opportunity to serve an underserved region of the county,” said Dr. Dave Loope, president of Beaufort CCC. “We’ve been looking for a way to have more of a presence in southeastern Beaufort County and Richland Township because of the transportation and childcare issues that prevent residents from traveling to campus.”
A First for BCCC: Building on New Ground
The new facility will be built on 3.89 acres in the Aurora Industrial Park, directly across from the Nutrien plant. This marks the first time Beaufort CCC has constructed a building on land not contiguous to its main campus in Washington, N.C.
While the college currently operates satellite locations in Beaufort, Washington, and Hyde counties, those buildings are owned by the respective counties. This facility represents a new phase in the college’s regional expansion.
A.R. Chesson Construction, which previously built the college’s Boat Manufacturing Center, will lead construction.
Honoring Rev. Dr. Robert Cayton’s Legacy
The facility is named in honor of Rev. Dr. Robert B. Cayton, a lifelong Aurora resident and longtime Chair of the BCCC Board of Trustees. Cayton served as chair from 2018 until his passing in May 2022. He originally joined the board in 1991 and was reappointed in 2016.
Customized Training for Local Industry
The center will bring customized job training directly to the Nutrien workforce and its contractors—training that is currently held on the main campus in Washington.
“We serve over 400 Nutrien employees annually, in addition to hundreds more from its contractor base,” said Loope. “This new facility brings training directly to where they work.”
Once completed, the building will be staffed by a new part-time employee, with instructors rotating in from the main campus as needed.
Community and Legislative Support for Regional Growth
The Cayton Center was made possible through support from Aurora Mayor Cliff Williams and N.C. House Representative Keith Kidwell, who helped secure the SCIF grant from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation.
“This facility will be a catalyst for growth in the region,” said Loope. “We’re proud to partner with the Town of Aurora, Nutrien, JKF Architecture, and A.R. Chesson Construction to make it happen.”