Few towns with a population of less than 5,000 can boast that Chick-fil-A is one of their go-to dining options.

That will soon change for the residents of Fulton, Mississippi, and the students and faculty of Itawamba Community College.

ICC officials ceremonially broke ground Tuesday for its Connection Center, which is expected to open on the Fulton Campus during the 2026 spring semester. The facility, being built in the front portion of the Band Hall parking lot, will include a multi-use conference center space and a Chick-fil-A.

ICC President Dr. Jay Allen said that Tuesday’s ceremony was an opportunity to participate in and celebrate another milestone for the College since he arrived as president in 2017. “This groundbreaking is another significant milestone along this ever-changing journey. The building of this $4.9 million innovative student- and community-friendly Connection Center will provide state-of-the-art meeting space and a new dining option for all to enjoy.”

The approximately 10,000 square feet of meeting space will provide all audio/visual capabilities and can be configured into one large meeting space or two smaller meeting spaces, Allen said. It will be used for college and community meetings, events and instructional activities. The remaining 3,000 square feet will house Chick-fil-A through Sodexo, ICC’s food service provider. It will be open to students, employees and the community. Although it will not have a drive-thru, it will provide the same great service and dedication to detail, according to Allen.

Allen also said that construction will begin soon on a new sidewalk that will begin on the Fulton square and continue to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway made possible through a partnership with the city and a grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

“ICC’s Connection Center will not only serve as a new staple for our college experience, but it will serve as an asset to our local communities with its convenient location adjacent to the new pedestrian walkway,” Allen noted.

Additional program participants included Michael Taylor, president of PryorMorrow Architects, and Charles Diggs, district manager for Sodexo, which has been in discussion with ICC for this opportunity for more than three years. Fulton and Itawamba County-based JESCO Construction will be the contractor.

Local and state funds are supporting the construction of this facility, in addition to a more than $1.2 million investment by Sodexo.