6/13/07: Master Planning Update #13
Master Planning Updates #1-12
If you have not had the opportunity, please read Master Planning Updates #1 (June 17, 2003), #2 (August 29, 2003), #3 (October 16, 2003), #4 (July 27, 2005), #5 (January 30, 2006), #6 (March 13, 2006), #7 (April 24, 2006), #8 (July 6, 2006), #9 (September 1, 2006), #10 (December 1, 2006), #11 (March 2, 2007), and #12 (May 11, 2007). These updates are archived on this web site.
Quick Master Planning Summary
For those with limited time, the following is a quick, USA Today style update on Master Planning projects (with links to the GCC North and Life Science Building sections in the report below):
-
GCC North. Construction has begun, officially marked by a Ground Breaking Ceremony on May 7, 2007 (see
GCC North Groundbreaking Gallery for photos). Since ground breaking, the site has been graded, dry wells dug, water detention basins installed and the stem walls started for each of the four buildings constructed (see
GCC North Construction Gallery #1 for photos).
-
Life Science Building. The consultants, Gould Evans, delivered 100 percent Construction Documents (CD) on June 6, 2007. These documents were reviewed by the Planning Team June 7-18, 2007. The college anticipates establishing a Gross Maximum Price (GMP) and Governing Board approval by July 24, 2007 and a Ground Breaking Ceremony during the First Week of Accountability in August 2007. Look for an upcoming announcement as you return to the campus in the Fall.
-
Public Safety Building.
Also called the Applied Technology and NW Bldg. Educational Specifications (draft) are complete and were submitted to the District Office June 4, 2007. Following approval of Educational Specifications and selection of an architectural consultant and contractor, construction will begin in June 2008 – just as GCC North opens its new facilities.
For additional information on GCC projects, please read on.
GCC North Campus
Below is a schematic from the Master Plan showing the proposed construction to be completed by 2044. Those buildings in the northeast part of the site (upper right) and identified with letters (a-f), are to be constructed as part of phase one (completion 2008) and will support the College until the next bond cycle (typically every ten years). Moving counterclockwise around the site, phase two is in the northwest quadrant (2014-2024), phase three in the southwest quadrant (2024-2034), and phase four in the southeast quadrant (2034-2044).
The GCC North expansion project will add 68,000 gross square feet (gsf) to a 20,000 gsf Existing Site. New construction will add three new buildings: Instruction, Information and Student Services; plus a Central Plant.
The Instruction Bldg. (17,983 gsf) will provide three science labs for biology, chemistry and the physical sciences. Additionally, three general purpose classrooms, each capable of seating 48 students, will be built. Labs and classrooms surround a large Prep Room core (for the labs), allowing the building in future phases to support six labs. This use, would require a conversion of classrooms to lab facilities, for which this building's infrastructure is already programmed. Offices for faculty and staff, a tutoring center and social space for students to gather and meet colleagues or faculty complete this building.
The Information Bldg. (17,542 gsf) will house the campus Library, Computer Commons (with 50 workstations) and Media Center. Like all buildings on this site, the Instruction Bldg. is programmed for the future. College's seldom build a second library, but computer centers, large and small seem to pop up in many future master plans. Should the need arise, a new High Tech Center could be built in a future phase and the square footage allocated in the Information Bldg. converted into Library space. Additionally, a courtyard space (1,000 gsf) on the east end of the building can be enclosed to serve as a future classroom.
Renditions of planned buildings:
Looking north to Ludden Mountain, Instruction and Information buildings in foreground.
Computer Commons, from inside the Information building.
The Student Services Bldg. (26,455 gsf) will house Enrollment and Business Services (Registration, Advising, Cashier Services, Financial Aid, Bookstore), Student Services (Student Lounge, Game Room, Cafeteria, Community Room) and a full service Fitness Center and Activity Room. In a future phase, planning may favor a new athletic or fitness center, allowing 2,000 gsf to be repurposed to support other business or student service needs. Likewise, the original community room was designed for 1,800 gsf, but reduced to 1,200 gsf for budgetary reasons. This room too, could be enlarged.
The final structure, the Central Plant (5,695 gsf), will house and control the utilities and major logistical needs of the campus. Additional space was built to add additional cooling towers for future phases, and those installed during this phase incorporate features to reduce energy consumption during non-prime instruction time and to filter out dust thus reducing wear and tear on the underground water lines.
To complete the site, a total of 206 new parking spaces will be added, bringing the campus total to 542 parking spaces. Lighting, security cameras and blue phones will be installed and connected to College Safety in the Existing Site Administration Bldg. Off site improvements will add an additional vehicle lane and sidewalk to Happy Valley Road and a sidewalk along the eastern perimeter.
Throughout the planning of GCC North, sustainability, functionality, safety and future use have been guiding principles. Additionally, preservation of the desert environment has been a theme throughout, perhaps best signified by the addition of a fence around the property and the tree salvage project to save nine Ironwood trees (open photos), a climax vegetation species for this site and soon to become landmarks for this great college in the Northwest Valley.
Foundations: Since Ground Breaking in early May, construction is proceeding at a rapid pace. If you drive by the site today you will clearly see the shapes of things to come, the four buildings described above. Building footprints have been outlined, graded and compacted and the beginnings of stem walls erected. Courses (layers) of Concrete Masonary Units (CMUs or "concrete blocks") will follow. Then the concrete pads will be poured, providing a seamless foundation, fully integrated with the walls. For those interested in what a stem wall is, or what its function is, particularly as it relates to structural stability, storms and high water, please click on the following link. Mr. Bob Villa ( This Old House ) does a better job than I at explaining the construction process and functions of this system.
www.bobvila.com/ HowTo_Library/ Storm_Ready_Home_Stem_Wall_Foundations-Foundation-A2020.html
Underground, no longer visible, are five water detention basins and four dry wells to control storm water. The StormTech underground retention system provides storage of storm water from the site through the use of arched plastic chambers, covered by a isolator row (mesh membrane to trap fine sediments and other debris), then surrounded by large rock. The system is all constructed 3-6 feet beneath the ground surface. Water enters the system via catch basins and manhole inlets, and is filtered through an isolator row, removing silts and other rough impurities. The water then fills the chambers and the void space between the rocks. After the storm, the water infiltrates through the bottom of the system into the existing soil. The three large systems are located under the asphalt parking areas. There are two other smaller systems - one at the southwest corner of the Information building and one south of the Student Services building. Complementing this system are four dry wells, each drilled to a depth of 110-128 feet. Each well is four feet in diameter and filled with coarse gravel/rock. The Storm Tech system and drywalls are the college's approach to safeguarding the campus should a 100 year flood occur. For more about this system, please click on the following link.
http://www.stormtech.com/about.htm
The installation of underground utilities and off site improvements are proceeding with equal speed. An additional traffic lane, turn-in lane and sidewalk along the south edge of Happy Valley Road are being installed. On the eastern edge of the property, a sidewalk will frame the 57th Avenue edge of the campus. The college and consultants continue to explore value engineering options, specifically lighting fixtures, and donation of equipment to keep the project on time and within budget. Wells Fargo Bank's recent donation of the Central Plant chiller units, saved over $350,000. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so please take a look at the first GCC North Construction Gallery now. ( GCC North Construction Gallery #1)
Life Science Building
To preview a three dimensional tour of the new Life Science Bldg., graphics that depict the proposed facility may be viewed in Life Sciences Building Construction Gallery #1. 100 percent Construction Documents (CD) were received June 6, 2007 and reviewed by the Planning Team June 7-18, 2007. The new facility will be GCC's first three story structure and will house the Biology, Psychology and Nursing Departments. The proposed facility will contain 6 general purpose classrooms (@36-48 student capacity), 72 offices and common work spaces, a central Lab Prep Area, nine Biology labs, an Animal Research lab, four Nursing Observation pods and large (@120+ student capacity) room dividable into three smaller rooms. The facility will also contain a working greenhouse and small cafe. The Gould Evans design places the cafe, greenhouse, Nursing pods, large dividable classroom, and four general classrooms on the first floor, offices and conference rooms on the second floor, and all lab facilities, two classrooms and mechanical plant on the third floor. Construction is still expected to begin in August 2007 and the building prepared for instruction at the beginning of the Spring semester 2009.
Open
Life Sciences Building Construction Gallery #1 to view several depictions of the planned facility.
Glendale Community College Bond Projects Schedule 2004-2014
In order to help employees and community members track progress of GCC Main and North projects, the following is an abbreviated timeline of actions associated with each project. Details of three projects in progress: Student Union Remodel, new Life Science Bldg., and expansion of the GCC North campus are discussed further in this document.
| Project | Ed Specs Development | Consultant Selection | Design and Construction Documents Development | Construction Begins (estimate) | Substantial Completion (estimate) | Punch List - Occupy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU* |
Jan – Mar 2005 |
ART Jul 2005 Jokake Sep 2005 |
Aug 2005 – Feb 2006 |
Apr 2006 | Mar 12, 2007 |
Mar – Jun 2007 |
| Life Science Bldg. (formerly N Bldg.)* |
Apr 2005 – Feb 2006 |
Gould Evans May 2006 DPR May 2005 |
Sep 2006 – May 2007 |
Aug 2007 | Oct 2008 |
Nov – Dec 2008 |
| Public Safety aka Applied Technology aka NW Bldg. |
Mar – Jun 2007 |
Jul – Aug 2007 |
Sep 2007 – May 2008 |
Jun 2008 | Aug 2009 |
Sep – Dec 2009 |
| B Bldg. |
Jul – Sep 2007 |
Oct – Nov 2007 |
Nov 2007 – Jun 2008 |
Jul 2008 | May 2009 | Jun-Aug 2009 |
| T1 Bldg. |
Jul – Sep 2008 |
Oct – Nov 2008 |
Dec 2008 – Jul 2009 |
Aug 2009 | Aug 2010 |
Sep – Dec 2010 |
| T3 Auto (some T2) |
Jul – Sep 2009 |
Oct – Nov 2009 |
Dec 2009 – Jul 2010 |
Aug 2010 | Aug 2011 |
Sep – Dec 2011 |
| Old LS/NU Bldg. |
Dec 2011 – Feb 2011 |
Mar – Apr 2011 |
May – Nov 2011 |
Dec 2011 | Oct 2012 | Nov 2012 |
| F&W Bldg. |
Sep – Dec 2010 |
Jan – Feb 2011 |
Mar – Nov 2011 |
Dec 2011 | Feb 2013 |
Mar – Jun 2013 |
| Vogel Via Gaucho Entrances* |
Aug – Sep 2005 |
Oct – Nov 2005 |
Dec 2005 – Feb 2006 |
Mar 2006 | Oct 2006 | N/A |
| Chiller Plant Upgrades 1 |
Nov 2006 – Jan 2007 |
Feb – Mar 2007 |
Apr – Aug 2007 |
Sep 2007 | Jan 2008 | Feb 2008 |
| GCC North* |
Mar – Sep 2005 |
RNL Design Jan 2006 CORE Feb 2006 |
Jan – Nov 2006 |
Dec 2006 | Mar 2008 |
Apr – Jul 2008 |
1 Upgrade of the Chiller Plant is a District project designed to prepare the campus infrastructure to support new buildings.
* Planning is currently underway for several projects (highlighted in light green ), and each is discussed further in this document.
Questions - Comments
Your input and questions concerning any of the College's bond projects is always welcome. If you have questions or ideas, please share them with the College. You can do this by clicking on the following email link. Questions and concerns will be addressed as expeditiously as possible, and where appropriate, shared with other readers in future Master Planning Updates.
E-mail Questions - Comments
Summary
In closing, let me express the College's sincere appreciation to those who have shared ideas, expertise and time toward the master planning process, development of the College's Project Lists, educational specifications, review of proposals and selection of architects and construction firms. Every attempt has been made to be inclusive, and the College will continue this approach as we plan, design and construct each project. If anyone desires a copy of documentation for any specific project, please email me and I will provide a copy or direct you to an on-line link. Please stay engaged. With your continued participation and ideas, GCC will become what we dream.
Charles F. Jeffery
Acting Vice President - Administrative Services and Planning
