Budget committees in both houses of the state Legislature have approved the Governor’s proposed issuance of $18 million in lease revenue bonds for seismic retrofit and renovation of the Science 1 Building at California State University, Stanislaus. The project is now included in the 2010-11 state budget and can proceed once the Governor signs the final budget.
Upon completion, the renovated Science I building will provide a home for departments from the University’s College of Human & Health Sciences, particularly Nursing and Social Work. Consolidating the departments’ offices, classrooms, and laboratories, which are currently spread throughout the 228-acre campus, will allow the Nursing and Social Work departments to prepare for future growth and expand their programs to meet the region’s need for health care and social work professionals.
“This project is critical to meeting the health care needs of the region,” said CSU Stanislaus President Ham Shirvani, who was present for the key legislative vote in the Senate subcommittee. “I am so pleased that the Legislature has recognized its importance and the importance of investing in higher education in order to prepare students for the workforce and boost California’s economy.”
Shirvani continued, “At a time when the Central Valley is desperate for more jobs, this project alone is projected to create 200 construction-related jobs.”
Peggy Hodge, Endowed Chair of the CSU Stanislaus Department of Nursing, said, “Not only will we able to bring our clinical lab and office spaces together in one building, but we will also have a new, state-of-the-art simulation lab that will be used to augment clinical experiences for our nursing students. I am excited about the expansion opportunities this renovation will provide for our department.”
“An important element of this project is that it will bring our faculty and students closer together by putting offices in close proximity to classrooms and seminar areas,” said Margaret Tynan, Chair of the Department of Social Work graduate program. “This interaction not only enhances our department, but the graduate culture of the university.”
The CSU Stanislaus Science I facility was first built in 1972 and needs significant seismic retrofitting and renovation in order to meet current state Building Code requirements. The renovation will also allow for more efficiency in lighting, ventilation, water use, and waste flow. Construction on the two-story, 50,000 square-foot building could begin in early 2011.
The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee approved the project May 27, following May 26 approval by the Assembly budget subcommittee and May 24 approval by the Senate subcommittee. The votes were part of bond issue packages for six CSU campuses, including CSU Stanislaus, San Diego State, Fresno State, CSU Channel Islands, CSU Chico, and San Jose State.
The Science 1 Building is located on the south side of the CSU Stanislaus campus, adjacent to the Nora and Hashem Naraghi Hall of Science, which houses 110,000 square feet of space and 25 laboratories serving 17 undergraduate and graduate majors in the College of Natural Sciences.