The New England College of Optometry (NECO) has opened a new clinical training center at 424 Beacon Street in Boston. The facility replaces the college’s former site at 930 Commonwealth Avenue and is designed to expand opportunities for student training with updated technology and additional practice space.

The center includes 19 student lanes, a large teaching bay, and a training bay equipped with diagnostic and therapeutic instruments. According to NECO, the expanded training area will allow students to gain an additional 20 to 22 hours of practice time each week.

Celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 25, the opening marks a milestone in NECO’s 131-year history.

“The opening of our new clinical training center marks a bold investment in the future of optometric education and the future of vision care,” says NECO president and CEO Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, Dipl.