Eastern Florida State College announced this week an $87 million makeover of its aging Cocoa campus — the school's first in Brevard County.


What You Need To Know

  •  Eastern Florida State College has announced an $87 million makeover of its Cocoa campus

  •  The project includes $16 million for two on-campus student housing apartment units

  • The biggest project in the plan is $21.6 million to build a new planetarium

Highlights include $14.5 million to construct a new Advanced technologies building for programs like aerospace and engineering, and $14.5 million to construct a new STEM building for science classrooms and labs.

Another $16 million would go toward building two on-campus student housing apartment units, which would house a total of 192 students.

As part of the 10-year master plan, the biggest project — at $21.6 million — is building a new planetarium. 

The current planetarium opened in 1974 and was badly damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

It's roof was torn off and that was followed by a week of heavy rains.

The college conducted an engineering study that found it would take some $9 million to bring the existing facility up to code.

One person looking forward to the campus update is Morgan Risley, who is home-schooled but also attends classes at Eastern Florida State's Cocoa campus.

Having already taken three years of college courses, she plans to soon become a business major.

"The idea of having a planetarium back is very exciting," Risley said.

Demolition of some of the buildings is expected to begin this summer.​

Eastern Florida State College has three other Brevard-based campuses in Melbourne, Palm Bay and Titusville.