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ATTLEBORO - Renovations are almost done, and courses will start in January at Bridgewater State College's new facility in Attleboro.

The college will occupy the second floor of a building once owned by Texas Instruments in the business campus off Pleasant Street.

Bristol Community Colleges already offers two-year programs on the first floor of the same building and the hope is Attleboro area students will soon be able to earn bachelor degrees at the site.

Skip Darmody, associate director of marketing for Bridgewater State College, said renovations turning the second floor into six classrooms should be completed early next month. Evening classes will start Jan. 21.

Information and registration sessions will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 5 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 10, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon; Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.; Thursday, Jan 15, from 5 to 7 p.m.; and Tuesday, Jan. 20, 5 to 7 p.m. Darmody said the college will initially offer 15 evenings courses. The offerings range from accounting to criminal justice to teaching.

He said the goal is for the college to expand so area students can get an associates degree at Bristol Community College and then move on to a bachelor's degree with Bridgewater State College without leaving the area.

Bridgewater wants to tap into the "phenomenal" success Bristol Community College has enjoyed in Attleboro, he said.

Enrollment at the Attleboro facility for the community college is up nearly 50 percent over last year.

The Attleboro branch had the full-time equivalent of 340 students in the fall of 2007 and 510 this fall. In total, 966 students are taking at least one class in Attleboro.

JIM HAND can be reached at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.