Stadium, north of Mall construction updates are top priorities at PCC meeting

Construction updates were the highlight of Thursday’s Pierce College Council meeting, with news of the stadium, fiber optics and North of Mall presented to the president’s advisory.

The Shepard Stadium project is underway and tractors continue to fill the sides of the gridiron with dirt, but it is uncertain if the construction will be complete by the initial deadline.

“As far as the stadium project, we have run into minor issues with the contractor who requested for an extension. We are currently working it out with them to find a way to  finish on time for next season,” said Pierce College project director Cadena.

Cadena also briefed the PCC about the progress of other construction projects on campus, and said the north of Mall project is still on track to begin July 31.

“It has been exciting to have contractors and architects be able to finally work on plans we have had for a while,” Cadena said. “The campus-wide fiber project made it under budget and will begin within two weeks.”

Vice President of administrative services Rolf Schleicher spoke on behalf of the campus Sheriff’s office.

“The cadet program is growing in popularity for students who want to get into the law enforcement field.  It acts as almost an internship for students who can get hands on experience before applying for LAPD or the Sheriff’s department.  The campus police station is also happy to announce that Pierce has been kept relatively quiet of any criminal activity,” Schleicher said. “They are looking to install surveillance systems around the school to create an even safer environment for students and staff.”

Assistant administrative analyst Christine Valada requested the PCC’s approval for seven parking spaces designated for electric car charging.

“These spots are very important for our school moving forward We encourage staff and students to carpool as often as possible and we want to make this opportunity available for electric car owners,” Valada said. “Pierce currently has about a dozen faculty members who drive these cars. Several of these owners have come forward and said that their commute is too long to make it to work and back home without charging it at school. It is just the beginning of this type of technology and I believe the need for these stations will become greater in the future.”

The request was approved unanimously.

The next PCC meeting is scheduled for May 21 at 2:30 p.m.