Half of campus buildings marked for retrofit
Citrus College will spend $121 million on construction since Measure G funded campus buildings in 2004.
Seven important new buildings and renovations to several others were funded using the money.
Since March, Citrus administrators, including Superintendent/President Geraldine Perri, met with consultants to discuss another round of construction.
Administration and faculty received initial plans to further restructure the campus on Oct. 1 at the Board of Trustees meeting.
Architectural firm Westberg + White presented two architectural plans with several variations at an evening session of the board meeting.
Each plan would dramatically reshape the campus if approved. But board president Sue Keith said the board was far from a decision.
“I like the branded signage,” Keith said. “It looks like us. … One of the things I like is the STEM Center having all the disciplines together. A lot of the board is interested in that.”
One plan would move the STEM program into buildings on the west side of campus.
Pasadena design consulting group MIG worked with the architect to analyze the campus programs and facilities. MIG project manager Mark Sillings met with campus representatives to discuss campus redesign.
“We talked about how education and CTE programs should drive the design of the new facilities,” Sillings said. “… As Dr. Perri reiterated many times, we wanted it to be a data-driven process.”
Sillings said his firm conducted a survey, focus group and committee meetings to develop a plan for a campus redesign.
One proposal would pave over the Little Dalton Wash storm drain to form a road through campus. In some of the plans, the college driving range was eliminated to shift campus buildings southward.
All of the designs planned fewer, larger buildings on campus.
Campus Safety director Ben Macias said he looks forward to reviewing the plans.
“Some of the things we would give input on would be things like trees — dark areas; blocked lighting or natural barriers,” Macias said.
He will offer guidance on how campus design could prevent crime and unwanted visitors.
“At K through 12, you’re going to have physical, hard barriers. “We’re an open campus.”
The Board of Trustees review plans further at their meeting on Nov. 19. Board staff will submit a recommendation on how to proceed with plans and how to finance them, including whether to request another property tax bond to fund construction.
Keith said she wants student input in the process.
“I don’t know all the comments,” Keith said. “It’s in process, and I don’t want to pre-decide anything.”
