Bailey Torres
Staff Writer
CSUB’s new dorms are expected to be completed by Jan. 2015. They are expected to house 500 students initially and 1,500 by full completion.
The construction is obvious in every corner of campus this fall. Contractors are working on a new art building in the northwest part of campus behind the Doré Theatre, new dormitories are being built in the northeast near the soccer fields, and there is new construction in the southwest corner near Camino Media.
In his September update, CSUB President Horace Mitchell said the 15,000-square-foot art building is in progress, and a hotel and a conference center are planned for the southwest corner of campus. Though Mitchell’s update said they are still reviewing firm qualifications for the hotel and conference center, early parts of the construction are under way.
According to the article, “CSUB breaks ground on new student housing complex,” on the CSUB public affairs website, “the groundbreaking” for the new dorms was held in May 2013. When this first phase of construction is complete the dormitories will house 500 students, but at the project’s completion the dorms are expected to house 1,500 students. Patrick Jacobs, head of facilities at CSUB, said that the first 500-bed phase of the dorms “will be ready for occupancy January 2015.”
According to Eloise Dalpe, a senior marketing and communications major, the addition of new dormitories is a “necessary” improvement. She added that she is “excited about the new dorms.” She said the current dorms are “very packed,” and there is no “privacy or storage.”
The current dorms house 350 students, and the school continues to grow at a rapid pace with 1,400 new freshman students this quarter. According to the CSUB Public Affairs website, the new dorms will “promote energy conservation and sustainable building practices.”
When asked about the dorm’s progress Patrick Jacobs, head of facilities at CSUB, confirmed that there have been no set backs, and the project is moving forward smoothly. He said, “Everything is on schedule for completion.”
The San Fernando based company Bernards Construction is constructing the dorms. According to the company’s online portfolio, they have completed many housing projects and educational buildings, including science buildings at California State University Los Angeles and university housing for California State University Northridge.
According to the CSUB public affairs website, the dorms are “funded through CSU systemwide revenue bonds, housing reserve program contributions of $500,000 and an $8 million integral loan from the Affordable Student Housing Revolving Fund loan program.”
