MADISON, Wis. -- Madison Area Technical College, which has seen an increase in enrollment this summer and fall, is opening a new location on city's West Side this fall.

MATC is moving into the former headquarters of the now-empty Famous Footwear on Mineral Point Road.

At the new location, MATC will teach mainly human and protective services classes, such as a police academy class that is currently offered at MATC's Commercial Avenue location.

"We're going to have more state-of-the-art classrooms. We're going to have better training facilities. For instance, the mats (at the Commercial Avenue location) are over 20 years old. We'll have upgraded equipment we can use," said Lt. Brian Landers, an instructor at MATC.

The college said the move will include not only more space for growth but more equipment for emergency responders like police and EMS.

"All the sheriff's departments, police departments, fire departments, EMS departments in our district will be able to receive advanced and further training not only with some of the best instructors in the area, but now with also some of the best facilities and equipment in the area," Landers said.

Landers said the move and equipment upgrades will pay off for police and emergency responders who are taking their training from the classroom to real life.

"By having these real-life training simulators and real-life training rooms and dedicated areas it, will allow that person to receive advanced training and be more proficient," Landers said.

MATC will be leasing about half of the building for seven years. The location will offer EMS and police science programs as well as some basic courses.

MATC said the decision to look for a location on the West Side has been in the works for years and is part of a long-term effort to eventually find a permanent location on the city's West Side.

"It's an area that we think we need to expand into," said Roger Price, vice president of Infrastructure Services at MATC. "We don't know that this is where we'll be in the southwest side. There are many other places further west, further south, that could be a better permanent home."

The building will be open this fall semester. Classes begin on Aug. 24.

MATC said its enrollment numbers are up 20 percent this summer and 16 percent in the fall, but the college said the decision is really based on the campus "Growth Project" that it has been working on for years.

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