Lundgren Management Corporation

By Jesse Muñoz
Signal Staff Writer

College of the Canyons officials are moving right along on the construction of the college's second campus, the Canyon Country Educational Center, with land grading projects nearly complete and temporary modular buildings ready to be delivered.

Approximately 85 percent of the grading projects on the 70 acre hillside site - located on the east side of Sierra Highway between Soledad Canyon and Sand Canyon - have been completed, clearing the way for more infrastructure specific projects to occur, according to COC facilities director Jim Schrage.

"All the building pads are built, and in two weeks roads will be able to take cars and trucks up to the site to give tours," Schrage said. "Right now it's four-wheel drive only."

Scheduled to be open by the fall, officials intend to utilize the modular building set-up at the educational center until the design and construction of the new campus' fourth permanent building is completed.

"All of our modular buildings are being created on the footprint of where the permanent building is going to be, so the modulars are going to be there for a while." Schrage said. "We haven't decided on architecture designs, but building placement and campus layout have been finalized."

Funded by Measure C bond funds - the $82.1 million capital improvement bond voters approved in November 2001 - and coming at a cost of approximately $30 million to the district, the new campus will open with 25 classrooms and five lab space areas clustered in five quad areas, and serve approximately 3,000 students in the first semester of operation.

However, at build-out - which is projected to be completed by 2015 - the campus will contain six two-story buildings totaling 240,000 square feet, and serve approximately 10,000 students.

"The plan is to be open for fall semester, and right now we're scramming like crazy to meet that plan." Schrage said. "But that will be 12 months from start of grading to opening doors, on a 70 acre hillside site, so that's pretty good when you step back and take a look at it."

COC's Second Campus Set to Open for Class This Fall