OCEANSIDE — Extensive construction, renovation and design activities are underway at MiraCosta College as part of its capital improvement program.
Improvements will include major facility transformations, new construction, upgraded instructional technology and safety and accessibility enhancements to provide up-to-date education and career training experiences. Summer construction includes six new buildings and a significant renovation project at the Oceanside Campus.
“The transformation of our college facilities plays a crucial role in workforce development and creating career opportunities for students,” said Tim Flood, MiraCosta’s vice president of Administrative Services. “It’s essential that our facilities are state-of-the-art and equipped with cutting-edge resources that foster innovation and excellence.”
According to Flood, MiraCosta hopes to be a “destination college” where students can set themselves apart and gain a competitive edge.
Construction stems from Measure MM, a $455 million bond approved by voters in 2016, which provides several key improvements including upgrades to career training facilities for science, health care, technology and the skilled trades.
“We are indebted to North County taxpayers for supporting Measure MM,” Flood said. “They have been essential partners in bringing about these critical facility transformations.”
Projects under construction include six new buildings at the Oceanside Campus: the Student Services building; Theresia M. Heyden Hall for Nursing and Allied Health; Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition (KHAN) building; gymnasium; Chemistry and Biotechnology building and the Media Arts Complex.
The Nursing and Allied Health building, named for long-time Oceanside resident, philanthropist and former nurse, Theresia M. Heyden, will provide a centralized location and appropriate facilities for all Allied Health programs. The facility will include state-of-the-art simulation spaces for patients and operating rooms, hands-on skills labs, and classrooms.
The $28.8 million facility, scheduled to be completed next spring, will be part of the Health and Wellness Academic hub on campus and is part of a design-build procurement led by the design-build partnership of HMC Architects and Balfour Beatty.
The hub will include a new gymnasium complex that replaces the existing, outdated gym buildings to provide the new KHAN building and wellness center athletic instruction spaces and a modernized gymnasium. Occupancy of the gym should occur in the spring of 2024 and Heyden Hall in the summer of 2024.
The $41.1 million gym project, encompassing 40,915 square feet, will include locker rooms, equipment storage and a multi-purpose studio. It is slated to be completed this fall, with occupancy of the gym to occur in the spring of 2024 and Heyden Hall in the summer of 2024.
The new Student Services Building will unify student service functions throughout the campus into a single, one-stop-shop. It will include a new home for the Veterans Center.
Located in the former site of Pedley Park, the new building is strategically positioned to act as a gateway building for the campus, providing a much-needed sense of entry and easy wayfinding for new or prospective students. The two-story building will allow access and entry from the street level for visitors and the campus promenade level for current students.
The $62.1 million project comprises 54,556 square feet of space and is scheduled to be completed next spring through a design-build partnership with DLR Group and Swinerton Builders.
The new Chemistry and Biotechnology Building will provide a 23,391 square feet facility with new chemistry and biochemistry labs and two 40-seat flexible classrooms. The building will provide needed space for growth as the district’s biotechnology program expands into a baccalaureate degree program.
The $46.9 million project will be a significant component of the Science, Technology, late next summer through a design-build partnership leads the project with HED and C.W. Driver.
Construction of the next Media Arts Complex is also underway with housing various functions to serve students of the arts hub and the campus. The $21.7 million project will include a new art gallery, two computer labs, a film studies classroom, student study and collaboration spaces, faculty offices, the Media Arts labs and extensive display areas for student art.
The media arts hub will provide dedicated student-friendly study and collaboration spaces and have a strategic path of engagement to the campus promenade. It is on track for completion in the spring of 2025 with HMC Architects and Balfour Beatty leading the way.
The renovation of Library Building 1200 will involve renovating nearly 47,800 square feet of space within Oceanside’s existing library. The project will include mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades. Interior layouts will be adjusted to accommodate changing programming needs.
The $32.5 million project, led by Level 10 Construction and Architects Mosher Drew as a design-build partnership, should be completed in early spring 2024.
Designs are also underway to replace four existing buildings with one new building and renovate two other buildings for the future Communications Hub, Student Center and Social Justice and Equity Centers. Construction should begin in the fall of 2024.
Additionally, the college is planning a theatre lighting upgrade for Building 2000 and a campus wide wayfinding and signage plan. Infrastructure enhancements and ADA upgrades are ongoing.
All building upgrades at the San Elijo campus in Encinitas are complete, and future projects there include a new recycled water installation project throughout campus and a new sidewalk path of travel routing pedestrians from the Student Services Building to Manchester Avenue.
All Measure MM projects at the Community Learning Center, located across town in Oceanside, are complete, with the renovation of Buildings 100 and 200 classrooms and offices in the Division of the State Architect closeout process.
