11/4/09: Master Planning Update #25
Master Planning Updates #1-24
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), #12 (May 11, 2007), #13 (June 13, 2007), #14 (January 30, 2008), #15 (April 17, 2008), #16 (August 25, 2008), #17 (October 17, 2008), #18 (December 12, 2008), #19 (January 16, 2009), #20 (February 29, 2009), #21 (March 30, 2009), #22 (May 13, 2009), #23 (June 24, 2009), and #24 (September 26, 2009) These updates are archived on this web site.
Quick Master Planning Summary
Public Safety Sciences Building
This fall has witnessed a flurry of activity surrounding this project. The building is now enclosed and interior office and classroom walls are beginning to receive paint. The training plane, outfitted with features for water training (hose/hydrant/truck) and confined-space rescue drills, lighting for night training and walls for ladder drills and rappelling exercises now allow the College and community to visualize the final facility and its tremendous capabilities.
In the coming weeks, the College will schedule tours of the building and grounds. When completed, this will be GCC's third multi-story building, adding 22,200 square feet of instructional and administrative space to the campus. The project remains on schedule for a Grand Opening in January 2010.
Please see Public Safety Sciences Construction Gallery #5 for a visual update of construction progress.
Rendition of the Public Safety Building
GCC North
Ever since the Grand Opening in August 2008, enrollment at GCC North has grown beyond all expectations. In order to accommodate the larger student population, the College recently added 320 new parking spaces. The project will be completed the first week of November. Concurrent with the addition of more parking, the College partnered with the City of Phoenix to install a traffic signal at the main entrance. Many thanks to Dee Dee Denslow, Al Gonzales, Jack Gallegos Jackie Serna, Dolly Marden and Brett Garwood who never gave up the vision for safe and easy access.
Please see GCC North Parking Expansion Gallery #2 for a visual update on construction progress.
Directional Signage
In the last update, GCC's new directional kiosks were shown without campus maps. Maps have now been installed making navigation of the campus easy. In fact, one receptionist in the Administration Building noted a significant drop in student requests for information after the kiosks were installed.
The seven kiosks are easily identifiable by their winged shape, bright red and silver colors, maps, and clocks to keep us on time. Key directional totems atop each kiosk (up to five) serve as guide posts to the most popular facilities (like the Enrollment Center, Dr. John F. Prince Library and the Student Union).
These kiosks were sited after a thorough analysis of pedestrian flows across and around the campus and include provisions to meet the special access needs of mobility challenged students, employees and visitors.
Kiosks are located:
- North-South mall close to Green Bean Café patio, Life Sciences Bldg.
- Grass area north of the T-1 Bldg., by the fire lane.
- North-South mall (red social space) east of the Math Bldg.
- Central mall slightly NE of Testing and Disability Services Bldg.
- Area slightly NW of Campus Safety Bldg.
- East-West mall north of the O-1 and O-2 Bldgs., SE corner of the Library
- East-West mall near Humanities Bldg.
Kiosks are also lighted at night. As GCC continues to grow and future budgets allow, more kiosks will be installed on the campus and in the parking lots.
Life Sciences Building Receives Valley Forward Award Remodel
At this year's Valley Forward awards ceremony, GCC won an Award of Merit for its new Life Sciences Bldg. Our competition in the category Public Assembly was the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Bldg. and the ASU Polytechnic Project. Both ASU projects were much larger in scope, significantly more costly and both are presently seeking LEED Gold certification. In fact DPR advertises the ASU Polytechnic Project (the first place or Crescordia winner) as the "greenest" building in America. The Walter Cronkite School also won an Award of Merit. This year, Valley Forward received hundreds of submissions for awards and recognition in 20+ categories. This award is truly environmentally/sustainability focused, and for architects and contractors headquartered and working in Phoenix, a Holy Grail of sorts. For more about Valley Forward and this year's award recipients, please access the Valley Forward web site at: www.valleyforward.org/
Awards recognition, or course, is not Maricopa or GCC's primary focus. Building great teaching venues is! The Life Sciences Bldg. is in its second semester of operation and student and faculty compliments continue to be received. In short, we succeeded on multiple levels. Thank you all for being a part of this project, because without your efforts, your support, none of this would have happened.
Future Bond Projects
The following is a list of future bond projects. Dates provided are due dates for the development of Educational Specifications to the District Facilities and Planning office.
| Project | Development Due Date |
|---|---|
| T-1 Building | September 2009 |
| T-3 Auto Complex (includes some of T-2) | September 2010 |
| Fitness & Wellness | December 2010 |
| Old Life Science/Nursing Building complex | December 2011 |
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.
