Ceremony to start new construction begins today
Gilroy – College officials will meet on the school’s main walkway this afternoon and watch as tractors ceremoniously scoop up the first shovelfuls of dirt to commemorate the onset of Measure E construction.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, which will take place today from 5 to 5:30pm, Gavilan College President Steve Kinsella will discuss the projects set to hit the campus thanks to the passage of the bond measure.
Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, also will attend the ceremony. Kinsella has referred to the $108-million bond project, approved by voters in 2004, “a bare bones facility upgrade.”
Infrastructure upgrades, courtesy of Measure E, began this summer. The improvements included electrical upgrades, new heating and air conditioning units, lighting and safety.
Large lecture halls were the trend when the more than 35-year-old campus was built, but these days Gavilan’s open-space classrooms are inefficient since classes are smaller and student participation is stressed.
During the next eight years departments and buildings across the campus will be revamped and modernized to accommodate Gavilan’s growing student enrollment and reflect the educational changes In addition, any changes necessary to bring the college in line with the American Disability Act, such as handicapped ramps or bathrooms, will be made.
Numerous technology upgrades also will be made. This fall, the campus boilers will be replaced and trenches will be dug along the main campus walkway to begin constructing underground electricity and gas lines.
When additional trenching takes place in late fall, portables will be brought onto campus to serve as interim housing for displaced departments.
