Construction will wrap up in August on two buildings at Bismarck State College.

Lidstrom Hall and the National Energy Center of Excellence will be ready when school starts in late August.

The energy building, which had its groundbreaking in May 2006, will house the college's energy programs, workforce development and the college's administration.

On-campus and online energy programs will be in one place when the building opens, vice president Dave Clark said. The on-campus classes are in the career and technical center, along with the college's vocational programs and the Bismarck school district's vocational programs. Donations from businesses and individuals, combined with congressional earmarks and state and local funding, is paying most of the cost of the building. This paid about $13 million of the $18 million it cost to build and furnish the building.

"There was a lot of community, industry and public support," Clark said.

The BSC Foundation took out a loan to pay the difference. The college will pay back the foundation, and take control of the building once the loan is paid back.

Lidstrom Hall is named after former college president Kermit Lidstrom. The new residence hall gives the college 80 new spaces to its 210 already available.

"It's not the old-style dorms," Clark said. "It's not the block construction. It's more comfortable."

The rooms are suite style, with four people to a room. Each suite has its own bathroom, kitchenette and common area. The residence hall will be co-educational. Men and women will be separated either by floor or by wing, Clark said. Men and women will not be assigned to the same room.

Construction began on the building last spring. It cost about $5.6 million to build and furnish. It was paid for with a $4.4 million revenue bond authorized by the Legislature and from the auxiliary reserve fund.

In 2009, the Bismarck School District will build a new career and technical center across the street to expand programming. BSC will share the space.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)