After over 10 years of planning, Educational Development Center Building modernization construction could begin soon at Citrus College.
A Board of Trustees meeting report by Claudette Dain said a job walk took place on March 2 with 14 contractors as well as Facilities and Purchasing in attendance.
If a successful bid is received, construction will begin in April, the report said.
Director of Facilities and Construction Fred Diamond said in an email that “the ED building will be the last building modernization done under Measure G.”
Measure G is a $121 million bond measure passed in 2004. The funds were used to modernize existing campus facilities and build new ones.
Planning for the ED Building modernization project began over 10 years ago, Diamond said.
“The ED modernization process includes the design phase, the approval phase, the bidding phase and the construction phase,” Diamond said. “All of these phases require several months at a minimum in process time.”
Citrus College’s Educational and Facilities Master Plan contains written assessments of the current facilities at Citrus College. Outdated utilities and infrastructure are a general concern for most of the buildings. Diamond said the ED Building will be thoroughly gutted and refurbished.
“The ED building will basically be stripped down to its structural elements and will then be fitted with all new equipment and finishes,” Diamond said. “It will look like a brand new building with all the latest and most efficient items.”
Diamond said the ED Building has been used as a “swing space” over the years while other buildings, such as the Campus Center and Art Center, were being built or renovated. The Educational and Facilities Master plan said that the ED Building “housed most English courses in eight classrooms” but while being renovated, those classes were moved to a “swing space which is not conducive for English pedagogy.”
The Educational and Facilities Master Plan also said that the ED Building will house two new labs, which will be used primarily for chemistry courses.
As of now, it is unclear exactly when construction will start.
“The bids have not been received and evaluated yet so we don’t yet know who the contractor will be,” Diamond said. However when construction starts, it should take 18 to 24 months.
