Consulting Firm to Start on Draft of Campus Master Plan in Summer

Posted on
The challenges of setting priorities and making decisions about capital improvement projects were explored at the final workshop for the Campus Master Plan Advisory Committee.
The challenges of setting priorities and making decisions about capital improvement projects were explored at the final workshop for the Campus Master Plan Advisory Committee.

A draft of the next Campus Master Plan will take shape over the summer as consulting firm Ayers Saint Gross prepares documents that will guide the future of Cal Poly Pomona.

The Campus Master Plan Advisory Committee‘s final workshop held on May 1 contained a comprehensive exploration of topics and issues raised since the process began in fall 2017, along with recommendations for improvements.

Ayers Saint Gross addressed the challenges of setting priorities and making decisions about capital improvement projects, such as understanding the condition of campus facilities and examining whether a building can be efficiently renovated and upgraded or should be replaced.

This is especially challenging on the Cal Poly Pomona campus where most of the academic core of the campus is impacted by seismic faults. Facilities built on these faults can’t be replaced on the same sites, and significant renovations require additional seismic reinforcements.

“Capital projects grow out of campus needs, are prioritized by the Strategic Plan and Academic Plan, and guided by the Master Plan,” said Carolyn Krall, the project manager at Ayers Saint Gross who led the nearly 250-slide PDF presentation.

Over the past year, Ayers Saint Gross has undertaken several implementation studies, including a feasibility study for addressing the seismic issues impacting the CLA complex (Building 98) and the flawed tower side, which is targeted for demolition.

The analysis showed that reinforcing and renovating the classroom section of CLA would be more sustainable and less expensive than replacing it with a new building. Krall presented examples of modernizing similar facilities, and showed architectural renderings of the classroom structure with a new façade and enclosed atrium to create more interior space.

“Transforming CLA has the power to transform the character of the entrance to campus,” Krall said.

The wide-ranging session also hit upon topics such additional study space on campus, which was identified as the top priority at a student forum in November 2018. To address this need, Ayers Saint Gross showed concept renderings of potential study space additions to the Bronco Student Center, as well as classroom and study space adjacent to the University Library and the Campus Center.

Ayers Saint Gross is continuing to meet with academic stakeholders. A sustainability forum aimed at students is planned for the fall, and the draft Campus Master Plan will be presented at an open campus forum, with input to be incorporated into the final draft document.

The final draft Campus Master Plan must be completed with required environmental reviews before it is submitted to the Chancellor’s Office and the CSU Board of Trustees. The Cal Poly Pomona Department of Facilities Planning & Management will then be tasked to carry out objectives that include capital construction projects and improvements to campus infrastructure.

The Campus Master Plan draft is expected to be completed by the end of the year and adoption is tentatively scheduled before the end of 2020.

For additional information, including PDFs of presentations to campus stakeholders and workshops with the Advisory Committee, go to the Campus Master Plan website.