Final planning and budget deliberations were last month’s focus, resulting in a presentation to the Board of Trustees on Oct. 15. The revised Master Plan and recommended budget revisions were approved. A summary of the major projects and status is as follows:
Projects Completed/Under Construction
Fire Line Cross Connect Project- This project was completed during the summer, resulting in improvements to the main fire lines serving De Anza College for fire protection.
Water Valve Replacement Project- This project is about 90 percent complete, so the jack-hammering and construction around the underground water valves should be finished by the end of November.
Mod Quad- The modulars are now in place, housing 99 faculty offices, three additional classrooms and the Language Arts Division offices. The faculty will be returning to the renovated offices by the end of the quarter. This space will then house classes when the “L” quad renovations begin in the spring.
Faculty Office Renovation- Renovations in the “F” buildings and a portion of the “S” buildings is on schedule and should be completed in time for the faculty to move back in at the end of the quarter.
Child Development Center Expansion- Located next to the main Child Development Center, this project is in the first phase of the major expansion, which will take about 12 months to complete. The expected occupancy date is the beginning of the Fall 2002 quarter. Once this phase is over, renovation on the existing building will begin.
Projects in the Planning Stage
Science Center- Plans for this project, which will be built in Parking Lot E where the OTI complex is located, are 95 percent complete. The project will house the chemistry and biology labs, a 100-seat lecture room, faculty offices, and a science resource center with computer lab support. Once the plans were done, additional Measure E funds had to be allocated to the construction budget. The plans will be submitted to the State for review in the coming weeks. Bids are expected in the spring, with construction starting in the summer.
Student and Community Services Center- Planning for this structure, to be located in Staff Lot A, is through the design development stage (about 30 percent through the planning process). The project had to be slightly downsized and additional Measure E funds were augmented to resolve some budgeting problems. The project will house Admissions & Records, Counseling, STARS, SLAMS, Transfer and Career Center, Business and Industry Institute, Community Services, and the Bookstore. The next phase involves preparation of the schematic drawings.
Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies- This project had to be downsized to fit within existing resources without having to wait for additional fundraising. In order to determine which programs will be located in the downsized building, the design team will have to regress to the design development phase.
Lecture Performance Hall- Initially, $3.5 million of Measure E funds were allocated to this $7.4 million project, with the balance to be made up through fundraising. However, the funding had to be deferred. Replacement of the lost funding is expected to begin with other project designs and bids.
Maintenance Projects
Pool Repair- It was originally believed only minor repairs were needed, though after thorough analysis, it was discovered that $1.8 million of Measure E funds would need to be spent to repair all of the pipes and the interior finishes. Major program problems are expected while the pool is out of service for the two quarters it will take for the repairs, likely to occur during Fall 2002 and Winter 2003.
Parking and Transportation
Transit Center- The $3.7 million project funded by Valley Transit Authority has been approved, and construction will begin in about a year. The Transit Center will be located at the Peppertree/Stelling entrance on the east side of campus.
Parking Deck- Detail planning of a new parking deck will proceed. The deck will be constructed on the east side of campus, probably in Parking Lots A and B, or possibly Lot C. Along with other parking improvements, this will add about 400 spaces to the parking capacity.
Transportation Committee- To coordinate the efforts to increase transportation alternatives, an ad-hoc transportation committee was formed under the leadership of Donna Jones-Dulin. The committee will be aided by ALTRANS (a non-profit organization) to coordinate transportation efforts for carpool, vanpool, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian access to De Anza.
Green Buildings- The environmental commitment remains strong, with attempts to meet higher standards for building construction set by the US Green Building Council. Attempts are being made to incorporate the standards in the three new building designs and to also achieve a formal certification, known as the LEEDS certification.
