A joint groundbreaking ceremony for the Business Resource Center and the City of Merced’s hotel complex was held on January 17. These two projects will be the centerpiece of the development of an empty city block in downtown Merced. The site is bounded by M and N streets on the east and west, and 18th and 19th Streets on the north and south. The BCR will house Merced College’s numerous business and employer-related programs, including the Center for International Trade and Development and the Workplace Learning Resources Center. These photos show initial earthwork and excavation of the site. An additional photo show Merced College President Dr. Benjamin Duran addressing the crowd gathered at the groundbreaking.