Campus Activities

Cal Poly SLO Greenlights a Slew of Projects

By Robert Carlsen

The continual sounds of construction must be getting pretty boring to the faculty and students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

With one major project recently completed (the Engineering III building), the campus is seeing six other projects just begun or soon to be, including the EDES South building for the College and Architecture and Environmental Design and scheduled for a winter 2008 completion; the Engineering IV building, a Gilbane Building Co./AC Martin Partners project scheduled for a winter completion; the Bonderson Projects Center, due for completion this summer; and the Housing Administration Building, scheduled for completion next spring.

Two of the major campus additions, however, will be the Alex G. Spanos Stadium and Poly Canyon Village student housing project.

Cal Poly project manager on the $20 million Spanos replacement stadium project, Perry Judd, said there will be three phases and phase one entails the westside bleachers and Memorial Plaza. Phase two will include the eastside bleachers, renovation of the existing structure, women's and men's locker rooms, public restrooms, and food and retail services. And phase three will include construction of the northside bleachers and other stadium services.

Maino Construction of San Luis Obispo is the general contractor for phases one and two; phase three will be bid separately, according to Bonnie Lowe, project information coordinator for the Facilities Planning & Capital Projects department.

Minneapolis-based Ellerbe Becket and RRM Design of San Luis Obispo served as architects.

Phase one is scheduled for a late summer completion.

Judd said the project includes more than 3,600 stadium seats, a realignment of California Boulevard and a memorial plaza built at the southeast corner of the stadium.

"The wet winter weather pushed the schedule back some," said Judd, who added that the completion date should be this fall. "Plus, it's a constrained site that spans over an existing, active roadway. I guess you can call us logistically challenged."

Meanwhile, site work has begun on the massive $239 million Poly Canyon Village student housing project. The design/build project team consists of Clark Design/Build of California Inc. as the general contractor and Niles Bolton Associates of Atlanta and Anderson Brule Architects of San Jose as the designers. The project will feature nine residence buildings with 2,677 beds and two parking structures with over 1,900 spaces on 30 acres north of Brizzolara Creek.

The apartment units will offer full kitchens, laundry areas, study areas, utilities including high-speed Internet access, weekly cleaning service for kitchens and bathrooms, and trash collection.

Construction on the housing is expected to begin after removal and relocation of College of Agriculture facilities currently on the 30-acre project site. The project includes upgrading the electrical substation in the area, and upgrading sewer, water, roads, and bridges. In addition, the project will be designed and constructed in support of LEED certification standards, including a storm water system, a construction waste recycling goal of 75 percent and the use of low emitting materials, such as sealants and paints.

The first phase of Student Housing North is expected to be ready for occupancy in fall 2008. The balance of the student housing is planned to be open in fall 2009.
Brookwood Program Management of Atlanta is the program manager.

Poly Canyon Village will be comprised of three neighborhoods, driven by topographic, geographic and social considerations, the facilities department said. Each of the neighborhoods features passive outdoor gathering spaces framed by buildings and landscaping. All student residence buildings contain common lobbies with services and intimate study areas intended to provide an array of learning and social opportunities.

Project Team

Alex G. Spanos Stadium
Owner: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
General Contractor: Maino Construction Co.
Architects: Ellerbe Becket and RRM Design
Major Subcontractors: Franklin Reinforcing Steel Co. (rebar), G.F. Garcia & Sons (earthwork, utilities), J&D Fabricating (structural steel), Craig Roof Co., Mid-land Sheet Metal, Tarlton & Son (drywall/lath/plaster), Atascadero Glass, Pro-Coatings (painting), Knecht's Plumbing, Alpha Fire Sprinkler, Rossi & Carr Electrical, Case Pacific Co. (drilled piers), Southern Bleacher Construction, Western Pacific Elevator, Gearhart Building Products (insulation) and APC Contractors (hazardous matis abatement)

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