SLCC Construction Updates

It’s summer, and that means construction everywhere, from big and small projects inside and out; there’s no avoiding it. From parking lots, roads, stairs, offices, a building, and even an entirely new campus, much is happening at SLCC. As much as we hate having to take the long way around, we love a newly paved parking lot, an air-conditioned building on a hot day, and better access to higher education for students in rural places. Here are the construction projects taking place now or scheduled to start this fall and continue into 2023.

Juniper Building (Herriman Campus)

There’s been much buzz about the new Juniper Building at Herriman Campus, and rightly so. This partnership facility with the U will allow students to start their studies at SLCC in a specific program and then transfer right into the same field of study at the bachelor's level at the U, all from the same campus.

SLCC, with Big D Construction, contracted to do the work, broke ground last summer in an empty field for the Juniper Building at Herriman Campus. Now the steel beams that form the shape and strength of the structure stand proudly in the rustic open space. The brick design on the west exterior is currently taking shape, and up top roofers are busy ensuring inside crews will have a ceiling over their heads come winter. Inside, certain areas are now installing mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Drywall will go up in these zones before crews turn their attention to another designated spot and start the process again. Beyond the building, the ground is being leveled, and the pavement for parking and the surrounding curb and gutter is being poured.

SLCC Building Project Manager Bart Mace says that, barring any unexpected delays, the project is scheduled to be open for students for the Fall Semester of 2023. He says, "with all that's happening in the world, it's been difficult to get equipment and supplies." He lauded the work Big D and the State of Utah have done to help "mitigate supply chain disruptions and volatile price swings."

Technical Arts Building (Redwood Campus)

Two years ago, the Applied Technology Building on Redwood Campus caught fire and sustained significant damage. After an intricate and lengthy process of evaluating the existing structure and weighing the financial costs, the decision was made to tear down what remained of the old structure and build a new building. The design for the newly named Technical Arts Building has been approved, and a contract for the work with construction company SIRQ has been finalized.

SLCC Project Manager Chris McCarty says that sub-contractors have been lined up, and depending on the ability to get the needed supplies and equipment, SIRQ hopes to start construction soon. A completed schedule isn’t available at this time, and due to a global shortage of workers and products, the building may experience delays along the way. The building, which was initially slated to be completed for Fall Semester 2023, will probably not be finished until the spring or summer of 2024.

Student Center (Redwood Campus)

Students, faculty, and staff will feel the impact of several updates planned for the Student Center STC on the Redwood Campus over the next year. Project manager Clark Goodrich says that in addition to the primarily unseen but full-scale overhaul of the HVAC system, new offices for ODMA will be carved out in the northeast corner on the first floor, and the VP for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management offices will be remodeled. In addition, the two outside concrete stairways on the north and south sides of the building will be taken out.

The construction company SIRQ is contracted to do the work and, depending on the availability of supplies, will begin work this fall. “If all goes according to schedule, the STC updates will be completed for the Fall Semester of 2023,” said Goodrich. Having just received the contract, SIRQ has not yet produced an exact construction schedule.

HVAC

The HVAC system replacement will primarily occur behind the scenes, and there may be minor interruptions to foot traffic as workers dig into the walls and ceilings. Goodrich says there will be at least one day when the entire building will have to be emptied of everyone but work crews; however, they hope to do that phase of the project during the summer of 2023 when the campus is less active.

ODMA Offices

As the northeast corner of the STC isn’t connected to any significant walkway, the impact of construction in that corner on students will be limited to the loss of an infrequently used area to eat and study. Goodrich says that SIRQ will enclose that area for safety and dust containment purposes. Other than the coming and going of workers and equipment, the average foot traffic shouldn’t be highly impacted. Barring delays, the new offices are expected to be finished sometime in the spring or summer of 2023.

Concrete Stairs

The teardown of the north and south outside concrete stairways will cause some disruptions to the entrances on those sides of the building. Goodrich says there will be times when those entrances will not be accessible, and students, faculty and staff should be aware and plan their journeys to and from the STC accordingly. According to Goodrich, the stairways are deteriorating and must be taken down for safety reasons. The balconies leading outside to those stairs will be shored up and patched so that people can continue to enjoy using those outside spaces.

Peace and Justice Garden (South Campus)

Two days after 19 children and two adults were killed and 16 injured in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas, a group of students, faculty, staff and community members gathered for a peace vigil in the gated garden space on the southeast side of the South Campus building. The existing garden patio and inside hallway are slowly but surely being transformed into the Peace and Justice Garden for precisely that purpose. Criminal Justice Associate Professor Anthony Nocella says that during the strife of the past few years, he yearned for a space on campus that could be dedicated to peace. He expressed this idea to colleagues, and the idea for the Peace and Justice Gardens was born. The Peace and Justice Garden “will be a peaceful space for art, justice, civil dialogue, and community healing—a place for people to host vigils, rallies, teach-ins, workshops, lectures, speak-outs, poetry slams, dances, and concerts to promote peace and justice,” said Nocella.

Caleb Prusso, head of Facilities at South Campus and part of the steering committee, which is supported by ODMA and the Office of Institutional Equity, Inclusion, and Transformation, suggested using the existing patio space. Several elements planned by the committee have already been installed or placed in the garden or hallway. The community can already enjoy the respect stone and the peace poles. Plaques representing the eight different indigenous tribes in Utah are currently being installed. Nationality flags are also in the works and will be displayed in the hallway to show how many countries are native to SLCC students.

One of the main focal points will be a mural that will take up the north wall of the patio. The mural designed by the artist group Roots Collective is expected to be finished by the fall semester. The group, which consists of three SLCC alumni, says, “our work and interests revolve around celebrating cultural differences, creating a sense of peace, and evoking positivity.”

Soccer Field (Redwood Campus)

The new soccer field and cross-country track is almost complete and will be ready for the fall athletic season. Read more about this construction project in the latest edition of SLCC’s magazine.

Roads and Parking (Redwood Campus)

The parking lots on Redwood Campus are newly paved, and Taylorsville City is starting construction on the roads surrounding campus, including on Redwood. Read more about the specifics of this project on SLCC’s internal announcements.