Construction on the east side of Ventura College’s campus continues to draw interest as months go by and buildings begin to show signs of near-completion.
The college’s Advanced Technology/General Purpose Classrooms and Health Science Center are not set to be completed for another year, but construction is running smoothly, according to Bob Forest, director of Maintenance and Operations at Ventura College.
“As of right now, there isn’t an exact date of completion, but we’re definitely on track,” he said.
According to the Ventura Community College District website, completion is estimated to be by April 2011, but Forest acknowledges other factors that could make the exact date cloudy.
“There are still a number of things that need to be done,” he said. “Putting in furniture and fixtures, that’s what’s going to be the most time-consuming.”
In the spring of 2009, a problem occurred when a mistake in construction led to one building’s columns to be three stories too long. The issue, said Forest, was far from a setback, and the blunder was corrected almost immediately at the expense of the contractors.
Heery International Inc. is supervising the construction while Seattle’s Howard S. Wright Constructors is serving as the contractor for the project. Leo A. Daly, from Los Angeles serves as the architect of the project, said Forest.
The estimated cost of the project is $30 million, part of the $356.3 million bond from Measure S, which was passed in 2002 by Ventura County voters, according to the VCCCD website.
The Advanced Technology/General Purpose Classrooms and Health Science Center will cover 89,403 gross square feet and will provide a number of new services to students and faculty, according to the VCCCD website.
Along with an array of general purpose classrooms, the new buildings will offer innovative specialty class labs for computer sciences, fashion design, nursing and architectural technology. Students can also expect additional food service to serve the eastern part of the college.
The sight of the ongoing construction has been of great interest to students.
“I walk by the site everyday and can’t help but wonder how much longer it’ll take,” said Aly Castenada, a 24-year-old sociology major.
Other students are anticipating the services that will be available to them once the buildings are finally done.
“I can just imagine how much nicer the classes will be,” said Regina Sanchez, an 18-year-old nursing major. “I’ll probably be around when they’re done, and I’m excited for the chance to use whatever they’ll have to offer.”
