Blew's Construction Inc., of Spokane Valley, has won a $1.6 million contract to convert a former Rite Aid store building in the University City area into a new skills center for high school students, to be called Spokane Valley Tech.

Construction was scheduled to begin Aug. 29 on the center, at 115 S. University, which is planned as a branch campus to the main NewTech Skill Center, at 4141 N. Regal, a facility that houses several advanced technical and professional training programs for Spokane-area high school students.

Spokane Valley Tech is a collaboration of the Central Valley School District, which is acting as the host district, and East Valley, West Valley, and Freeman school districts to offer programs for career and college readiness beyond those available at high schools or at the NewTech Skills Center, which is operated by Spokane Public Schools.

The Central Valley board voted Aug. 20 to award the contract to Blew's to remodel the 51,500-square-foot building. Until scheduled completion of the project in January, Spokane Valley Tech classes that are starting in early September will be housed temporarily in other Valley school locations.

The district acquired the building on University in May for $1.8 million. Architects West Inc., of Coeur d'Alene, designed the planned improvements.

The Valley tech center will offer as a single course advanced aerospace and manufacturing with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, as well as sports medicine with a STEM emphasis. It also will offer cosmetology and fire science programs.

By the fall of 2013, the Valley tech center will add biomedicine and engineering courses, says Central Valley district spokeswoman Melanie Rose.