Cuesta College trustees approve contracts for campus upgrades
With funds coming from Cuesta College’s successful $275 million bond measure, the college’s Board of Trustees has approved about $4.8 million in contracts for architectural, design and construction management services for upgrades to its Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo campuses.
Cuesta College officials expect to break ground on two buildings this winter. On the San Luis Obispo campus, a 32,000-square-foot instructional building will provide classrooms, offices and meeting space at an estimated $17.6 million construction cost.
In Paso Robles, a new 44,000-square-foot North County Campus Center will house admissions and records, student life and leadership, a health center, cafeteria, a bookstore, computer lab, classrooms and conference rooms. Construction is estimated at $24.8 million.
“We started planning the buildings this past fall so we could tell people what their money was going to be used for with the bond,” said Toni Sommer, vice president of administrative services. “Now we’re going back and picking up some of the work that was done in the preliminary development of these buildings.”
The board of trustees unanimously approved agreements Wednesday with San Luis Obispo architectural firm PMSM Architects totaling nearly $4.5 million.
Trustees also agreed to pay $385,180 to Blach Construction, which has offices in San Jose and Monterey, for construction management services.
Both firms donated to the “Yes on L” committee, formed to support the college’s bond measure. PMSM Architects gave $25,000 to the committee in September 2014, while Blach Construction contributed $15,000, campaign finance statements show.
Both companies were involved in the design and construction of Cuesta College’s Dale & Mary Schwartz Learning Resource Center in Paso Robles a few years ago.
The bond measure was approved in November by 62 percent of voters countywide.
In coming months, the college will make critical repairs, such as addressing leaky roofs and broken air conditioning and heating units at both campuses.
Three additional phases of work will be undertaken in three-year increments. The next phase, set for 2018, will include a new Campus Center in San Luis Obispo and an Early Childhood Education Center in Paso Robles.
The bond also will be used to build a Job and Training Facility in Paso Robles, upgrade technology, and pay off about $19 million in debt from past construction and campus upgrades.
College trustees are also seeking individuals to serve on an independent citizens’ oversight committee to review bond measure expenses and keep the public informed. Applications are due Jan. 31; go to www.cuesta.edu for more information.
This story was originally published January 8, 2015 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Cuesta College trustees approve contracts for campus upgrades."