As one of the nation’s leading education facility builders, McCarthy has been awarded the contract for the construction management of the new 180,000-square-foot, four-story Math and Science Building in the heart of San Diego Mesa College, located at 7250 Mesa College Dr. in the Clairemont area of San Diego, Calif.
The new $92 million instructional building is being funded by the $1.555 billion Propositions S and N construction bond program, which is providing for new teaching and learning facilities, major renovations and campus infrastructure projects at Mesa, City and Miramar colleges, and six continuing education campuses. Construction is expected to begin in early September 2010, with completion slated for November 2012.
This is the second major project McCarthy has been awarded by the San Diego Community College District at San Diego Mesa College. The company also built the new three-
story, 50,000-square-foot Allied Health Building, which was completed in August.
“McCarthy was well-positioned for this project based on its extensive experience with laboratories and higher education construction projects,” said David Umstot, vice chancellor of facilities management for the San Diego Community College District. “The stellar performance of the McCarthy team on the adjacent Allied Health project at Mesa College factored heavily into their being selected for this technically complex project.”
Designed by Architects | Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker, the new San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building will house four floors of classrooms, laboratory space and offices for the departments of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physical sciences. Additionally, several faculty/student interaction areas will be incorporated into the building’s design. The new Math and Science Building will be constructed of structural steel with concrete shear walls and an exterior curtain wall.
The $92 million San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building is designed to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification under guidelines set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council. Many of the latest sustainable design features will be incorporated into the building’s design in an effort to achieve LEED Silver certification.
The new Math and Science Building will occupy the area immediately east of the existing Learning and Resource Building and south of the I-300 Building on the San Diego Mesa College campus. Two existing buildings will have to be demolished to make room for the new facility.
According to McCarthy Project Director Robert Betz, the biggest challenge facing the construction team is the project’s location on a compact 200,000-square-foot site right in the middle of the campus.
“Project access is a major issue that will pose ingress/egress as well as subcontractor scheduling challenges,” said Betz. “We are in the process of devising a plan that will allow us to work within the site constraints while minimizing disruption to ongoing traffic and activities at the campus during the construction period.”
Project team consultants for the new San Diego Mesa College Math and Science Building include Hope Engineering for structural engineering, and X-nth for mechanical and electrical engineering. The program manager for the Propositions S and N construction program for the San Diego Community College District is Gafcon.
About San Diego Mesa College
Among the largest community colleges in California and the nation, San Diego Mesa College is a fully accredited two-year college offering 160 Associate degree and certificate programs. Recognized in 2007 as one of the top 100 producers of associate degrees in the nation, Mesa College ranks as San Diego’s top transfer institution. The college also serves as an important economic catalyst for the region. Its career programs and industry alliances offer graduates almost immediate job placement in the fields of allied health, biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, business technology, consumer studies, and more. Other top specialized career programs include fashion, architecture, multimedia, animal health technology, American Sign Language, interior design, and hospitality and event management. More information is available online at www.sdmesa.edu.
About McCarthy
Founded in 1864, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies and is ranked among the top five education builders by Engineering News-Record. The company provides general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for education, healthcare, parking, entertainment, retail, laboratory, biotechnical, microelectronic, and industrial facilities; green buildings; office buildings; tenant interiors; mixed-use; and bridges and highways. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.
