CHARLES TOWN -- Seven years after American Public University relocated to the Eastern Panhandle from Northern Virginia, the online school has broken ground on a four-story, $8 million building that will become its Academic Center.

“The new space will serve our full-time faculty, deans, provost and president — with room for 140 employees in all,” said Christopher L. Symanoskie, the school’s director of corporate communications. “On the first floor we’ll have a library with the largest or one of the largest collections of books on military history anywhere.”

Once the new building is complete — probably in late 2010 or 2011 — American Public University will occupy more than 100,000 square feet of space in Charles Town.

“Right now, we’re using 10 buildings, and we’ve been responsible for a lot of revitalization and restoration all over downtown,” Symanoskie said. “With the new Academic Center, we’ll have a true campus-like atmosphere.”

The school began in Manassas, Va., in 1991 when a retired Marine Corps leader sought to create a university centered on military matters. But the scope of the university soon grew, Symanoskie said.

Today, American Public University offers 76 degree programs, including courses of study in homeland security, emergency preparedness and history.

The school’s enrollment stands at 53,000 and students come from every state in the nation as well as dozens of countries outside the United States to pursue associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, said Symanoskie.

This week’s groundbreaking ceremony at 330 N. George St. included the unveiling of the new building’s design as well as remarks from the school’s president, Wallace Boston.

Symanoskie said when the school moved to Charles Town it had just a single building, eight employees and about 13,000 students worldwide compared to the school’s current work force of 240 in offices scattered throughout 10 buildings.

The school has taken bids for the Academic Center project and will decide on a construction company soon, Syanoskie said.