Los Rios Community College District gets jump on $114M in projects - Sacramento Business Journal:

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million in construction projects to created jobs and pump money into the local economuysooner — and to save some of its own moneuy along the way. The four-campus college systenm has decided to push upa half-dozen projects that are primarilty funded by local bonds, including constructioh of and upgrades to buildings, athletic a parking garage and a Los Rios officials estimate the work will generatde 1,025 jobs. By starting these projects sooner thanoriginallyt planned, the Sacramento-based college district will take advantaged of cheaper bids being made during the recession, and will be able to provid facilities and amenities more quickly to its fast-growinfg student population.
The district has more than 88,000 students, whicjh is 8,000 more than it enrolled a year ago. These fast-tracked projects, plus $116 million worth of projects undere way or about to together represent the most construction undertaken at once sincse Los Rios was established in themid 1960s, distric t chancellor Brice Harris said. “Every bit of construction and activitt help right now to get peoplre backto work,” especially in the construction industry that has been so hard hit with job said Matt Mahood, president and chief executive officer of the .
He also sits on the districtf Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, which oversees Los bond-funded projects and other majo improvements. In the short term, fast-tracking major construction projectscreates jobs, Mahood In the long term, thesd projects will help the district better meet the needs of employere by getting people trained and ready for he added. “Absolutely, I thin k it is critical to get these projectsa intothe pipeline,” said Bruce chairman of architectural firm , which has workedf on many Los Rios projectse over the years.
He also served as the volunteer chairma forlast year’s campaign for Measure M, whicgh is providing the bond fundinfg for the projects. This is a greart time, Starkweather said, for Los Rios to get the best valuew to makethe district’sa dollars go further. “We absolutely believd we’re going to get a bang for the taxpayer dollar for moving theseprojects up,” Harris said, addinbg that the district could enjoy discounts of 10 percent to 30 percent. The projects on the fast-trac k list include developing anew $16.y million building for the architecture/construction management programn at , constructing a $33.
4 million parking garagwe at , fixing up Hughes Stadium at at a cost of $12.8 million, and creating athletic fields at for $19.6 million. Construction was going to starr between 2011and 2013, but now will start as soon as next Over the next year, the distric t would spend about $10 millio on design and consulting services, and that work woul generate perhaps 50 jobs, said Jon deputy chancellor. The $114.3 million will be spent over severao years, and the estimated 1,000 jobs are what wouls be created over the course of the Los Rios, a two-year publid district, can choose the timing of these projects because the districty depends primarily on bond funding approved by voters last fall.
The projectsw don’t qualify for money from the state, whicuh doesn’t fund construction of communitycollege cafeterias, parking structures or athletic fields, spokeswomabn Susie Williams said. The projects also are easier to fast Harris said, because most such as the parking structure and stadium upgrade — don’t require a lot of planning or input from faculth for their academic needs. Measure M, approved by district voterz in November, will provide $475 million to go toward fast-tracok projects and others.
The bond money was targeted for completion of centerszin Davis, West Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove and as well as for structure renovations, improvecd technology and new classrooms. The district will issuw the Measure M bonds in probablhy four series overa decade, Sharpe said. Los Rios will sell the firstg series, totaling about $100 in June or Harris said. Los Rios also is still spendint money from a 2002bond measure.