Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Merced College Receives $3M Federal Grant for Renovations

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/29/21

Merced College in Merced, Calif., was recently awarded with a $3-million construction and renovation grant by the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The college has announced that it will use this grant, in combination with the remaining 2002 Measure H Bond funds, to renovate the Vocational Building near the heart of campus.

Originally built in 1967, the two-story, 29,034-square-foot Vocational Building is home to the college’s business programs, as well as labs for computer science, administrative office management, drafting technology, accounting, and foods and nutrition. It also houses the International Student Services Office.

“We have a twofold mission to serve our students and to meet the needs of our community, and these projects are going to dramatically improve our ability to do both,” said Merced College President Chris Vitelli. “Our students and instructors are going to love the new spaces we’re creating for them, and our community will continue to benefit greatly from these career technical and instructional programs.”

Planned renovations include:

  • Modernizing interior labs and classrooms
  • Reconfiguring spaces to install programmatic functions
  • Updating HVAC systems
  • Adding new lighting and networking
  • Updating handrails, bathrooms, and drinking fountains with accessibility in mind
  • Replacing the roof system
  • Upgrading classroom technology
  • Adding new landscaping
  • Repainting the interior and exterior

Additionally, the remodeling project will also add a new culinary lab featuring a commercial kitchen.

“The new space will be a prominent fixture in the heart of the Merced campus, and will continue the college’s long tradition of educating and upskilling the local workforce,” said Bryan Tassey, the Dean of Career Technical Education.

The college is still developing a timeline for the project. Officials expressed hope that construction will begin next summer and finish by spring 2024.

“The EDA grant application was a yearlong process that involved gathering local industry, workforce development, and dignitary support,” said Marcus Metcalf, Director of Capital Projects and Construction. “Many parties were involved in the effort, and we are very grateful for the award of this federal grant.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Geometric abstract school illustration

    How Design Shapes Learning and Success

    Can the color of a wall, the curve of a chair, or the hum of fluorescent lights really affect how a student learns? More schools are beginning to think so.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • restroom sinks

    CSU Dominguez Hills Standardizes Plumbing to Improve Restroom Maintenance and Efficiency

    At California State University, Dominguez Hills, facilities leaders have taken steps to standardize restroom fixtures as part of a broader effort to improve maintenance efficiency and control long-term costs.