If you haven’t been to the Dandini Campus or the Meadowood Center since last semester, you’re in for a lot of exciting new surprises! Our Facility Operations and Capital Planning Department has been hard at work to not only fix what’s broken but to make substantial improvements. These changes will provide positive learning environments for students and faculty, which support the goals and mission of our college.
In no particular order, here are some of the improvements you can hope to see the next time you find yourself enrolled in one of our many classes (the fall semester coming sooner than you think)!
Parking Lot Resurfacing
Gone are the potholes and cracked pavement of yesteryear (or rather, yester-semester). This summer, 95% of the pavement at the Dandini Campus (including the parking lots at the Dandini Campus and the Meadowood Center) was repaired and upgraded. This includes a “slurry coat seal” and new paint.
Concrete Repairs
The stairs leading to various entrances on the North side of the Red Mountain Building are in the process of receiving much-needed TLC this summer and will re-open repaired and repainted in the Fall.
Sierra Building Lobby
With so many updates and changes that began last spring and will continue until the semester begins, this space is almost unrecognizable. Awash in natural light, the TMCC green graces the rafters while a new, lighter colored floor reflects the natural light. The mobile coffee bar will move to the opposite side of the room and will be a permanent (instead of temporary) structure.
Classroom Updates
This summer, Facilities staff removed over 250 “sled desks” (the desks with the plastic chair attached to a small desk that don’t quite comfortably accommodate those who stand over 5’5”). These desks have been replaced by tables and chairs that invite comfort as well as collaboration. The tops of the new tables have whiteboard surfaces on them that are intended to be written on.
HVAC AC8
If that’s just a collection of letters and numbers to you, that’s OK—we can translate. This summer, several of the heating and air conditioning units have been updated. This means that there will be more efficient heating and cooling in classrooms and common spaces.
New Lab Space at Dandini
When the dust finally settles, there will be several new spaces for students to engage in some serious hands-on learning. The Dental Hygiene lab will be expanded from 10 chairs to 14 for training. Additionally, the updated space will offer 10 x-ray stations, 2 enlarged classrooms, and six dedicated chairs and a surgical area for the Adopt-a-Vet program. There will also be a brand new Anatomy and Physiology lab in the space that had once served as two separate classrooms (RDMT 311 and 312).
Sports and Health Complex (and the Soccer Field)
While the new Sports and Health Complex is not projected to be complete until 2020, the new soccer field is vibrantly green and under preparations to be used by our soccer teams on August 8 (for practice). In the meantime, our dedicated Facilities crew is working on signage and a maintenance schedule for the field that will include regular (weekly) “striping” (aka painting the required lines on the grass).
Meadowood Center Updates
The Meadowood Center saw considerable repairs and updates this summer, which include a repaved and repainted parking lot, landscaping renovations that will include an additional planter bed (and the preservation of a large Ash tree), and fixes to a drainage issue to address water pooling between the two buildings. This means you will be able to park, enjoy the shaded walkways and stay high and dry at our rapidly expanding Meadowood location.
Don’t Forget to Stop and Smell the Flowers
If you’ve noticed the beautiful blooms and a wide variety of plants near every building entrance, this is the result of a multi-year project to renovate the visible garden beds.
Despite the harsh environment (at the top of a mountain where it’s often windy and hot), Facilities has taken the initiative to amend the soil with organic matter in order to make our campus sites more beautiful.
If you happen to see a TMCC Facilities staff member, don’t be afraid to give them a high-five or just say “thanks” for their incredible work this summer to improve our environment at TMCC, inside and out.
For more information on future improvement or capital projects, contact the Facilities Operations and Capital Planning Department at 775-673-7100.
