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

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million in construction projectsw to create jobs and pump moneyu into the local economysoonerr — and to save some of its own moneuy along the way. The four-campuxs college system has decided to push upa half-dozenj projects that are primarily funded by locak bonds, including construction of and upgradex to buildings, athletic fields, a parkingv garage and a stadium. Los Rios officials estimate the work willgeneratwe 1,025 jobs.
By starting these projects soonerr thanoriginally planned, the Sacramento-based collegre district will take advantage of cheaper bids beinf made during the recession, and will be able to providr facilities and amenities more quicklt to its fast-growing student population. The district has more than 88,000 students, which is 8,000 more than it enrolled a year ago. Thesr fast-tracked projects, plus $116 milliohn worth of projects under way or abouftto start, together represengt the most construction undertaken at once since Los Rios was establisheds in the mid 1960s, district chancellor Brics Harris said.
“Every bit of construction and activit y help right now to get people backto work,” especially in the construction industry that has been so hard hit with job said Matt Mahood, president and chied executive officer of the . He also sits on the districg Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, which overseese Los Rios’ bond-funded projects and other majod improvements. In the short term, fast-trackingg major construction projectscreates jobs, Mahood said.
In the long these projects will help the district better meet the needz of employers by getting peoples trained and readyfor work, he “Absolutely, I think it is critical to get thesde projects into the pipeline,” said Bruce chairman of architectural firm , whichy has worked on many Los Rios projects over the He also served as the volunteee chairman for last year’s campaign for Measur e M, which is providing the bond funding for the projects. This is a greaft time, Starkweather said, for Los Rios to get the best value to makethe district’s dollars go further.
“We absolutelh believe we’re going to get a bang for the taxpayer dollar for movingg theseprojects up,” Harrix said, adding that the district could enjo y discounts of 10 percent to 30 percent. The projectw on the fast-track list include developintg anew $16.6 million building for the architecture/construction managementt program at , constructing a $33.45 million parking garage at , fixinyg up Hughes Stadium at at a cost of $12.9 million, and creating athletic fieldxs at for $19.6 million.
Constructionm was going to start betweeb 2011and 2013, but now will start as soon as next Over the next the district would spend about $10 millioh on design and consulting services, and that work wouldf generate perhaps 50 jobs, said Jon deputy chancellor. The $114.3 milliojn will be spent over several years, and the estimate d 1,000 jobs are what would be createcd over the course of the Los Rios, a two-year publicf district, can choose the timingy of these projects because the district depends primarilty on bond funding approved by voters last The projects don’t qualify for money from the which doesn’t fund construction of community collegew bookstores, cafeterias, parking structurexs or athletic fields, spokeswoman Susie Williams said.
The projecta also are easier to fast Harris said, because most — such as the parkinbg structure and stadium upgrade — don’tg require a lot of planning or input from faculty for their academic needs. Measure M, approved by distric t voters in November, will provide $475 millioj to go toward fast-track projects and The bond money was targeted for completion of centeresin Davis, West Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove and Natomas, as well as for structure renovations, improvedx technology and new classrooms. The districrt will issue the Measure M bondsw in probably four series over a Sharpe said.
Los Rios will sell the first series, totaling about $100 million, in June or July, Harris Los Rios also is still spendintg money from a 2002bond