SOUTHWESTERN GETTING A NEW STUDENT UNION

Southwestern College has envisioned reviving the heart of its Chula Vista campus with a Student Union building that offers students a fun place to meet while accommodating growth.

Last week, officials finally broke ground on the 85,000square-foot complex.

College President Mark Sanchez, who attended the college in the 1980s, said he felt “nostalgic when we took down the cafeteria, as I spent more time playing dominoes there than studying. But we are transforming Southwestern College physically and academically.”

The project’s design aims to improve spaces for students to interact with their peers and access multiple services.

“Balancing a number of small discrete spaces with larger flexible spaces (the new facility) will support student and campus programs and activities ranging from quiet study, to casual dining, to formal events,” the college said in its Facilities Master Plan.

The project will replace the existing student union and cafeteria buildings with a new dining and food hall that will connect indoor space with outdoor terraces and patios, according to the Master Plan. A coffee bar, multipurpose room, meditation area and ballroom space are also planned.

Multiple student services will reside in the facility, including the Associated Student Organization, Health and Personal Wellness and Veterans Resource Center, its bookstore, learning communities, culinary arts and the Cares Hub, which offers students assistance with basic needs like food, textbooks and transportation.

The $101 million complex is being funded by Proposition Z, a $400 million general obligation bond voters approved in 2016 that has allowed the college to renovate multiple facilities across South County. Through Prop. Z, the institution has built its state-of-the-art performing arts center, a new college police building and public safety training center in Otay Mesa.

“Proposition Z is a testament to the pride and investment our community has in our college,” Sanchez said in a statement. “We understand that investment, and we take it seriously.”

Balfour Beatty is developing the new Student Union facility. The developers are also credited with building the college’s new Wellness and Aquatic Complex and Devore Stadium. They expect to complete the project in the fall of next year.

tammy.murga@sduniontribune.com