Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Construction Begins on New Campus for California Community College

  • By Matt Jones
  • 11/16/23

The design-build team of Blach Construction, Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, and Gensler recently began construction on a brand-new campus for the Gavilan Joint Community College District in Hollister, Calif., according to a news release. Gavilan was originally founded in Hollister in 1919.

“Our new Gavilan College San Benito County campus will greatly improve access to higher education in Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Tres Pinos and other rural county areas,” said Gavilan Superintendent Pedro Avila. “Approximately 2,000 of our currently enrolled students live in Hollister and other San Benito County areas. This decades long-awaited campus fulfills our vision of expanding academic opportunities to these communities to support upward mobility.”

The first phase of construction consists of a 34,000-square-foot campus core that will include “a lobby and welcome center, classrooms, science and computer labs, learning resource and testing centers, a café, community room, as well as administrative and support spaces.” The building will also include an intentional exterior design that will blend it into its rural setting. The space also boasts a future-ready design that can accommodate current and future technology and furniture needs.

Phase 1 also includes a hardscape entry plaza, outdoor learning spaces, landscaping, and parking amenities. The project will cost $60 million, and funding comes from Measure X, which was passed by San Benito and Santa Clara County voters in 2018. Completion is scheduled for fall 2024, according to the news release.

“This is a milestone project to be sure. Not every day do we have an opportunity to enhance a deserving community with an entirely new, much-desired community college campus, let alone partner with two renowned education designers and an inclusive client to do it,” said Blach Construction project director Brad Fannin. “We are thrilled to be leveraging our extensive design-build expertise, integrating seamlessly with our partners to ensure the Gavilan San Benito County Campus project remains on schedule, within budget and when complete, exceeds the higher education needs of students in and around the greater Hollister area.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.