More than 150 people gathered on Nov. 7, to usher in a new era for The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona.

The day marked the ceremonial groundbreaking of a $10 million, 15,000 square-foot expansion, which will feature much needed space for the college’s graduate program, a social space for students and additional offices that will allow the college’s student body and faculty to grow over time. The privately funded-expansion will also include several classrooms that utilize innovative “flex” furniture and technology designed to move and adapt to the evolving needs of today’s classroom.

The Collins College expansion addresses the college’s growth needs in a sustainable way by striving to achieving LEED Gold certification on the two buildings. This would mark the first LEED Gold Certified buildings at Cal Poly Pomona. The expansion will utilize sustainable design features such shaded areas to produced cooler environments; the use of natural lighting; water-efficient fixtures, and high-performance heating- and air-conditioning systems, all in an effort to minimize the college’s impact on the environment. The project was designed by Ontario-based HMC Architects. Gilbane Building Company is the project’s construction management at-risk firm.

The expansion project was made possible by $10 million in private pledges from longtime supporters of the college including: Carol and Jim Collins, for whom the college is named after; Panda Restaurant Group founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng; The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation; prominent Inland Empire businessman and alumnus Eugene Park, and Richard N. and Mary Alice Frank.

The college expansion is on track to open in the fall of 2015. See the video below for footage from the groundbreaking event.