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The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

The Student News Site of Sacramento City College

The Express

New Allied Health facilities on the horizon

Renovations+for+Lillard+Hall+may+be+delayed+beyond+the+projected+2019+date+due+to+lack+of+funding.
Renovations for Lillard Hall may be delayed beyond the projected 2019 date due to lack of funding.

Two City College Allied Health and physics buildings constructed in 1963 are overdue for renovation, according to campus officials, who are optimistic that the $14.95 million rebuild of Mohr Hall and the $22.2 million renovation of Lillard Hall will begin by 2017.

City College Operations Director Greg Hayman said that although the budgets are already set for these projects, funding has not become fully available, possibly delaying the construction even longer.

Mohr Hall is scheduled to be demolished in 2017 and rebuilt by 2019, Hayman said. Lillard Hall is scheduled for renovation in 2019 but might be delayed because a state bond measure must be passed to fund the project.

The reason for demolishing Mohr Hall and renovating Lillard Hall comes down to cost-effectiveness, Hayman said.

“They’ve looked at the structural components of Lillard, and it’s a substantial brick building,” said Hayman. “It’s got some classic architecture, and it’s desirable. It’s only worthy of remodeling as opposed to tearing down.”

Allied Health Dean Jim Collins, who has been in his position for four years, said he has yet to see any renovations done to either building.

The policy for renovation in the past was that “as little will be done for the buildings as possible,” said Collins, saying that the district decided that it was not practical to spend money on renovation of either building when both were slated for renovation or replacement.

Collins said that both buildings have many problems, including the cleanliness of the ventilation systems.

“We have a number of challenges — the sewage system is not that great, there [are] backups of the toilets periodically, and we have leaks both in Lillard and in Mohr.”

Nursing student Lindsay Telso said at one point last year the ceilings in Mohr were leaking even when it wasn’t raining.

“The sim[ulation] labs are pathetic and definitely need to be improved,” added Telso.

Though Collins said he would like to see the renovations and rebuilding start as scheduled, money still has to be secured for the projects.

“We are looking for alternative funding,” Collins said. “There is no school bond on the ballot this election, and Governor Brown has taken a pretty conservative view about [new] bonds.”

According to Collins, the governor’s primary concerns statewide are the Cross Delta Tunnel and the Bullet Train, which “are taking precedence over these kinds of activities. And this is not only affecting Sac City and these two buildings, but a lot of other schools as well.”

Even with the new Mohr Hall, which is to be named Mohr Hall II, and the renovation of Lillard Hall, Collins said he is still concerned about the new space and layout of the buildings.

“There’s a limitation on what could be done, so [the buildings are] going to be torn down, but the outer walls are all going to stay the same, so the footprint of the building cannot change, which is unfortunate because we can really use more space,” Collins said.

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Telso said that at the beginning of the fall semester, she saw students and a teacher outdoors.

“There was a class sitting outside,” she said.

Enough classroom space is also an issue, Collins said, adding that more space would allow for a better learning environment.

“Reconfiguring that space is not just a matter of convenience, but really a matter of how do we serve students better,” Collins said.

Collins believes that students’ and faculty members’ voices should play a part in the new building designs.

“Everybody should be involved, including students,” he said. “The college is very good about getting the voice of the students, administrators and staff.”

While the Mohr building undergoes demolition and rebuilding, nursing and medical students will occupy temporary buildings on the east end of campus, Hayman said.

Collins’ main concern is that the temporary buildings will not be suitable for all classrooms and labs. Because the temporary buildings won’t be able to house a lot of the medical equipment in Mohr Hall, some buildings may be leased off campus for students.

“It’s a difficult problem,” Collins said. “We’re the biggest division in the college. We have five Allied Health programs, we have three science programs, and all of them have equipment. Some of the materials are hazardous, so they need special ventilation.”

Collins said that it can be difficult for students and administrators in such a big program to work with limited space and older equipment, but he is happy with the way they have handled it.

“I think faculty have done a really good job making do with the building limitations,” said Collins “The students certainly are very flexible, so I really appreciate that a lot.”

Nursing students who currently take classes in Mohr Hall had mixed emotions about the building being demolished.

Telso said she is extremely appreciative of the buildings and the nursing program at Sacramento City, though she added, “It’s a bummer that we don’t have all the nice amenities that other schools do.”

Nursing student Cozette Koenig has a message for future students who will occupy the renovated buildings.

“Appreciate it and take care of it because the resources don’t come easily,” said Koenig. “You should protect it like your baby.”

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