Construction at LB nears completion

By Kay M Roth

The fences on the northwest corner of the Quad block off an area normally traveled by students and staff members getting to and from classes. When winter term began, students were scrambling to find their classrooms even more than usual. Men with hardhats moved in and out of the building. Staff worked from relocated offices. And, those fences remained in place. When is it all going to end?                                                                                                                                                  

Over two years after it began, construction at LBCC is nearing completion. White Oak Hall, formerly known as the Science and Technology building, is almost ready to open.

According to Kevin Nicholson, the project manager, White Oak Hall is in its final stages of being ready for occupancy. “We’re close to being done,” he said recently.

By Nicholson’s estimation, all of the work will be complete early next month.

Gary Ruppert, the Dean of Instruction, is the person who schedules classes and assigns rooms. “We will have classes in there next term,” he said this week.

This is the final phase of a two-phase project that began over two years ago with groundbreaking for Madrone Hall. Once classes resume in White Oak Hall, the quad will be completely reopened. Nicholson said no further construction projects are expected in the near future.

The total cost of both phases is estimated at $10 million. According to information on the LBCC website, recording the history of the college, funding came from a variety of sources. The college Foundation raised almost half ($4 million) through private donations. The college spent $2.75 million, with an additional $3.73 million coming from state capital construction funding. A federal appropriation of just over $515,000 was used to purchase lab equipment.

Despite the relocation of classes, the closures have been taken in stride. “We’ve had no complaints from students,” Nicholson said.

He believes students and staff will be pleased with the changes. “It’s an all new layout,” he said of the way White Oak Hall will look. “It was totally gutted and remodeled.” A seismic upgrade was also done, preparing the building to withstand the shocks of earthquakes. Classroom sizes will remain basically the same.

In addition to the remodel, a section that used to be open space is now part of Red Cedar Hall. A wide staircase with a pendulum at the center takes up a large space in Red Cedar. “It was just open space,” Nicholson said.

As far as the name changes, Nicholson explained that Dr. Rita Cavin, former LBCC president, instigated the switch from subject specific names, such as Science and Technology, to what are considered subject neutral names- White Oak Hall.

Green leaves adorning trees, students relaxing at the many picnic tables in the quad and, oh yes, the opening of White Oak Hall- just some great things to look forward to this spring.

At a Glance:

New Construction: LBCC science building & alternative transportation efforts
Costs:  $10 million for phase one (Madrone Hall) and phase two (Red Cedar and White Oak Halls)
Completion date: White Oak Hall, spring 2010
Uses: Classrooms, instructors' offices, study spaces
Capital planning







 Students and staff do not yet have access to the newly refurbished and renamed White Oak Hall
                                Photos by Kay M Roth