A maze of fencing and piles of rubble dotted the De Anza campus as construction crews dug up sidewalks and tore off roofs in a spree of renovations during the summer.
The Main Quad at De Anza College underwent construction to improve disability access to the center of campus, while the main entrance on Mary Avenue was renovated to create “more room and more open space” for pedestrians and drivers, said Armando Gonzalez, a construction worker. McTate Stroman from Disability Support Services said “The computer labs, front pathways, rewiring in the ground” underwent construction as well.
The landscaping improvements will include building another sidewalk stretching from the bus stop near Staff Lot A to the campus side of Mary Avenue for improved student safety and convenience for public transportation, according to
De Anza’s website
Along with another sidewalk, reconstruction of the stairway entrance from the A quad was done to allow easier mobility for disabled students. “I would hope that (the Mary Avenue construction) would encourage a more fluid pedestrian-driver flow,” Stroman said. More lighting and updated irrigation systems are planned as well.
If you were on the De Anza campus over the summer, the numerous chain-link fences and cinder blocks obstructing pathways were impossible not to notice.
As much of an inconvenience as this was for De Anza students, the main objective of the construction projects was to promote easier accessibility on campus for disabled students. The projects create walkways for wheelchairs in order to improve accessibility for handicapped students according to Gonzalez.
The Main Quad had the “pathways, paving stones, steps and guard rails redone as well,” Gonzalez said. Stroman said the pavement will be smoother and will make it easier for wheelchairs to move on.
All of the projects were funded by bond
Measure C, a $491 million bond that allows the Foothill-De Anza District to make maintenance improvements possible.
