Construction of Ventura College’s Advanced Technology/General Purpose Classrooms and Health Science Center has been delayed.

The buildings were originally set for completion by April 2011. Now, the Health Science Center is projected to be completed by December of that year. The Advanced Technology/General Purpose classrooms are scheduled to be completed by March 2012, according to Bob Forest, director of maintenance and operations at Ventura College.

Weather has become an issue for construction workers, but the project continues to move along, Forest said.

The project costs are estimated at $58 million from Bond Measure S as of September 2008. “The project is part bond funded and part state funded,” Forest said.

The new buildings will contain specialty classrooms for nursing, computer sciences, fashion and design, and geographic information systems.

The buildings are set to cover 89,403 gross square feet and have become a hassle for (some) students walking to class. Jonathan Couey, 20, a Ventura College student, said, “The mud and trucks from the construction zone makes a big mess and congestion in the parking lot on rainy days.”

The construction site causes dust hazards and class disruptions. “I have a math class in the science building right next to the construction site and sometimes it can get really annoying when you’re trying to focus and they’re using the jack hammer,” said Ian Smith, 20, a Ventura College Student. “Even with the windows closed it’s pretty noticeable,” he said.