April 2021 Update

Published April 26, 2021 By Connie de Jesus

 

January 2021 Update

Published February 25, 2021 By Mersadie Newsome

Presently, a number of major projects are in various stages of design and implementation. Summaries of Bond Project Updates are as follows:

 

Student Services Center Renovation and Addition
Washington Street Campus

 

• Schematic floor plan was presented to committee, which deemed the departmental “flow” did not work as intended. A new plan will exclude Student Services Vice Presidents and the Registrar’s Office from the move to Russell Hall. This will provide more space for offices that work with students. This new plan is under review.

Carter Fitness Center Renovation
Washington Street Campus

 

• With the AC Board of Regents having approved establishment of an Intercollegiate Athletics program, including women’s volleyball, Sims Architects (formerly Lavin Associates) is tasked with moving forward on designs to accommodate competitive volleyball now, and potentially basketball in the future. Additionally, it is determined that Community Enrichment will not be permanently located in the facility. Sims is currently re-developing a schematic plan that provides for athletics, while reducing the size of any expansion.

HVAC Infrastructure Replacement
Washington Street Campus

 

• The committee decided to locate a new water-cooled chiller plant in Parking Lot 8, which is directly north of the Science Lab Building. The project will include four new water-cooled chillers and increasing by about one-third the amount of water loop piping on the campus. Construction documents are being prepared.

Technology Innovation Outpost
Downtown Campus

 

• Parkhill, Smith & Cooper completed the design development and proceeded to the construction-document phase. Western Builders was selected as construction manager at risk.  

First Responders Academy
Sunset Center

 

• The team is currently waiting for the purchase agreement to be finalized – the College is acquiring the old JC Penny building on Plains Boulevard at Sunset Center – so asbestos abatement and some demolition can begin. Minor demolition is needed to obtain accurate measurements within the structure to provide an accurate schematic design of the facility.

ADA Projects / Paving Projects

 

• Construction of Connector Roads at West Campus is 60 percent complete. The City’s Parks and Recreation Commission approved additional parking south of Lot 10. The project now awaits approval by the Amarillo City Council.

November 2020 Update

Published February 25, 2021 By Mersadie Newsome

Presently, a number of major projects are in various stages of design and implementation. Summaries of Bond Project Updates are as follows:

 

Student Services Center Renovation and Addition
Washington Street Campus

 

• Architects completed programming stage of the project, which will move all Student Services to Russell Hall. They next plan to prepare schematic floor plans for committee reviews.

Carter Fitness Center Renovation
Washington Street Campus

 

• The project is temporarily on hold as the architects await two decisions: Office space requirements if the Community Enrichment department is to be permanently housed in the facility, which may require some facility expansion; and Whether or not an intercollegiate athletics program will become a reality.

HVAC Infrastructure Replacement
Washington Street Campus

 

• The design team presented a water-cooled option and continues to weigh the efficiency and life expectancy of water-cooled chillers.

Technology Innovation Outpost
Downtown Campus

 

• A roof inspection revealed a need for replacement. That and necessary provisions for computer equipment caused the project to exceed budget. Semkhor volunteered to eliminate its new sound stage from the project for the time being.

First Responders Academy
Sunset Center

 

• Architects create three schematic drawings featuring actual user spaces for committee to assess.

ADA Projects / Paving Projects

 

• Regarding connector roads at West Campus, AC received contractor’s final paper work and a Notice to Proceed was issued on 11/16/20. The City of Amarillo has invited the College to present the Washington Street proposals to the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission. The architect is reviewing ADA violations and will prepare corresponding construction documents.

October 2020 Update

Published February 25, 2021 By Mersadie Newsome

Presently, a number of major projects are in various stages of design and implementation. Summaries of Bond Project Updates are as follows:

 

Student Services Center Renovation and Addition
Washington Street Campus

 

• Architect Dekker, Perich & Sabatini presented three conceptual ideas and subsequently met with directors of each department affected by the move in order to determine the needs and wants of each.

Carter Fitness Center Renovation
Washington Street Campus

 

• Architect Lavin Associates prepared three conceptual ideas for Carter Fitness improvements. They have started some designs; however, they are limited by a pending decision by the College about whether or not to reinstate intercollegiate athletics, which may largely affect the project as a whole.

HVAC Infrastructure Replacement
Washington Street Campus

 

• October 2020 - Architect Lavin Associates (which has since become Sims Architects) and sub-consultant Brown Consulting Engineers prepared a model of the Washington Street Campus chilled water loop to determine optimal flow and pipe sizing for the chilled water system. The team determined to look at multiple options – below and above ground – before making a final decision.

Technology Innovation Outpost
Downtown Campus

 

• Architect Parkhill, Smith & Cooper and sub-consultants Pegasus and Semkhor completed a schematic and moved into the design phase. Several room configurations have been discussed.

First Responders Academy
Sunset Center

 

• Several committee members visited first responder facilities in DFW area. Architect Dekker, Perich & Sabatini held several virtual meetings to ascertain scope of the project and began using committee’s ideas to develop floorplan configurations.

ADA Projects/Paving Projects

 

• Architect Shiver Megert Associates completed design of new connector roads at the West Campus. Design was submitted to the contractor. Notice to Proceed is pending. Also, the College has discussed several paving projects on the Washington Street Campus with the City of Amarillo and is awaiting City decisions on those.