by Nathan Baca
Staff Writer
Construction of the newest Oaks residential building is proceeding as planned in order to meet the deadline of opening the new residence hall pod by the end of the January Interterm.
The new three story, 67-bed F building is the University’s short term plan to house the overflow of students who have been admitted on campus this year.
The Office of Housing and Residential Life plans to begin assignment of rooms in November, with the priority given to students living at the Red Roof Inn in San Dimas.
The new dorm is located on the former site of a parking lot next to the current A building. To accommodate the increased need for parking space for the new Oaks residents, two new lots are being converted for parking usage.
The first site is currently a dirt lot behind the AAIC building while the other is at the corner of E and First streets.
Director of Housing and Residential Life Julie Thurman-Francisco emphasized the “tremendous need” for the construction project and stressed the department’s “commitment to all freshman and returning students.”
The need to address the overflow of students has become more pressing over the past three years as the student body has grown by more than 30 percent.
Though the newest addition to the Oaks Residence Hall is designed similarly to the current residence buildings, getting the design to the construction phase proved to be more challenging than the University had originally anticipated. After what was described by Thurman-Francisco as a “collaborative effort” between her department and executive and planning committees, the University submitted the improved Oaks design to the City Council of La Verne for permit approval.
The council had problems with architect Paul Wheeler’s design, stating that it violated the zoning limit by being more than 35 feet in height. To maintain the desired three-story design, it was decided to put the first floor at “garden level,” meaning that the windows of the first floor will be at ground level, similar to Founders Hall.
Construction began during the summer after a site survey determined the area was acceptable for building. Workers of Tovey Schultz Construction are laying mortar on the unpainted bricks of the first floor.
Construction Superintendent Rick Colburn said that their team would meet the deadline and that they have been “lucky” that the weather has been on their side. Colburn stated that though new seismic codes have increased their workload, they are still “20 percent complete.”
Executive Vice President Phil Hawkey is still in the process of negotiating with the city to drop the park fee that is usually paid with each new residence. If the city does not amend this fee, then the University will be forced to pay an additional $135,000 for parks that Hawkey believes would not be used by the students themselves.
Hawkey’s task had also been to find the funds necessary for the project. The $2 million needed for the new Oaks building is funded through a $6 million bond issue taken from increased tuition costs.
Nathan Baca
