Editor’s Note: Grossmont College was awash in construction and renovation projects over the summer, with workers racing the clock to complete them before Monday’s start of the Fall semester. In this report to the faculty and administration, issued on Friday, August 19, Tim Flood, vice president for administration, tells what was accomplished.
GROSSMONT COLLEGE — As we enter the last weekend push to get the campus ready for our students on Monday, I want to share with you some of the progress that was made and what can be expected in the near future. Many of the projects have come down to the wire as expected, but we are wrapping up the majority of them today (Friday) and through the weekend. This has been an extremely busy summer, but I hope that you will all find that the results of these projects have been worth the inconveniences and disruptions.
CAMPUS ROOFING
The campus roofing project incurred several unforeseen issues that we had to work through which have caused some delays. Our contractor and Gafcon have worked diligently to overcome the construction and material delay issues to keep this project on track.
We have completed all of the demolition and abatement on the roof. The hot mopping of the roof has also been completed so we will not have the aroma of hot tar floating around campus any longer. The metal roofing will continue through next week, so we will still have construction fence up around the buildings where the metal roofing is still
proceeding. I know the fence is restricting and will slow down student foot traffic but it is there to protect our students and keep them under the building
overhangs where they are protected from any accidental falling debris.
The roofing contractor is currently working on clearing the debris, and trash from the 500 quad and sidewalks so that the area is ready and clean on the first day. This work will continue through the weekend and will be ready for the start of classes. We had all hoped that we would have the roofing completed by the end of summer, but we
will just miss this completion time. We have almost succeeded in fitting a 5 month project into a 2 ½ month timeframe, so although we are running late, I am
truly happy with what has been accomplished, especially in light of the issues that we faced. The summer is the only time we have available to tear roofs off
buildings, so although we are slightly delayed, I am happy that we were able to repair so many campus roofs at one time. A list of the campus roof that were
repaired are as follows: Buildings 27, 31, 32A, 36, 42, 51-55, LTRC Tech Mall and Pool Shade Structure.
ROAD AND DRIVE REPAIRS
The large sink holes on the perimeter road by Public Safety have been repaired and the road has been re-striped. Public Safety has opened up the traffic lanes so we no longer have the confusing traffic lanes. We were also able to repair Griffin Drive (by the flag pole) during the summer.
We still have additional pot hole repair work to complete on the Perimeter Road by parking lot 7 and parking lot 1 and we are working to get this scheduled and completed. This is a never ending process as construction and bus traffic take their toll on our roads and entry ways.
CAMPUS WALKWAYS
The concrete walkway connecting the modular village and parking structure to the main campus (between building 55 and the student center) will be open for use on Monday. We are moving the construction fence back today and will have the area open and cleaned by Monday. A big thanks goes to the entire construction team who ensured that all of the work that was needed to be completed to open this sidewalk was accomplished.
RESTROOM REMODELS
The student and faculty restrooms in building 36 were completed and the restrooms are now open. This remodel included low flow water saving devices, new lighting and fixtures, new flooring, and was designed to meet current ADA requirements. This is a significant improvement and I am sure everyone who uses the new facilities will be
impressed.
LARGE LECTURE HALL REMODELS
ROOM 370–These upgrades included a new ADA ramp, new lighting, audio visual equipment, flooring, ceiling, and fixed seating. The new smart cart was delayed and will not be in until this Saturday. We will either have the new smart cart installed or have a portable smart cart installed in the room so it is ready for classes on Monday.
ROOM 220–These upgrades will include new ADA entry doors, flooring, ceiling, theater curtains, classroom and stage lighting, acoustical upgrades, and audio visual equipment, removal of the stage area and replacement and reconfiguration of the fixed seating. Although we hit a few snags, the room will be ready and opened on Monday. The fabric acoustic panels will arrive in a week and be installed once they arrive. We have painted the walls where the acoustic panels are to go so the room aesthetics are
complete and the room looks finished and is ready for classes and events. I would encourage everyone to stop by and check this room out, it truly looks amazing.
BUILDING 36 CLASSROOMS
This project involved installing new whiteboards, moving shelving, changing lighting, moving a smart cart, and working to improve the classroom environment for students and staff. The majority of this work has been completed and we will finish the remainder of the work during off times at the start of the semester.
ENTRY GATES
The entry gates have been installed on the Perimeter Road and Griffin Drive. We will make sure to inform everyone when they will begin to be utilized.
WATER CONSERVATION PROJECT
This project included replacement of irrigation controls campus wide and the installation of a computer system to allow the Grounds Maintenance Crew to be able to control all of the college irrigation centrally. Installation is complete, and we are currently working on the final programming issues.
CAMPUS WIDE CARPET CLEANING
We have completed the cleaning of campus carpets with over 133,000 square feet cleaned thus far. The Library and Tech Mall basement and first floor carpets will be cleaned this weekend as well.
Although we have completed much, there is still much more for us to work on. We are starting the planning for our fall semester and winter break work. Some
of the projects that we are working on include:
· Grossmont College Campus Wide Signage
· Grossmont College Fire Break
· Grossmont College Buildings #51 & #53 Air Handler & Boilers Replacement
· Grossmont College Parking Structure Lighting Upgrades
· Grossmont College Campus Wide Drought Tolerant Landscaping
· Grossmont College 500 Complex Drainage Upgrades
· Grossmont College Interior Classroom Painting for Building 51
· Grossmont College Tennis Court Repairs
A big thanks to Gafcon; the Grossmont College Grounds, Maintenance, Operations, Facilities, and Instructional Computing crews; the District Facilities Office; the District
Electrical and Electronic Maintenance Crews; and the District Accounting, Purchasing and Business Office staff whose hard work and efforts kept these project moving and on schedule. At the beginning of the summer I had reported that this was our most aggressive construction and renovation schedule to date, and through everyone’s efforts it has also been the most successful.
If you have any questions regarding the projects listed above, please feel free to contact me at ext. 7140 or e-mail me at [email protected]
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Flood is Grossmont College’s vice president for administration
