Preparation for the expansion of Austin Community College District's (ACC) Round Rock Campus is marching onward, with the design for the Applied Technology expansion now complete. According to an announcement made on the college's newsroom, the development plans, which revved up in September 2023, reached a full-scale design by May 2024, signaling a move toward the physical construction phase.
PBK Architects, Inc., spearheading the architectural design, is setting the scene for the next phase by finalizing a 50% complete construction document set that should be ready by the end of June, these steps are in advance of the document set that's meant for pricing, a crucial step in any big project as ACC looks to snag a proposal for a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) which they're planning to have in their hands sometime in July or August.
The expansion is chopping up into a two-phase project with Phase I foundations expected to be laid down in November 2022; this includes the construction of two new structures: Building 5500, encompassing 22,400 square feet for programs such as Advanced Manufacturing and HVAC Repair Technology, and also setting the stage for an electrician certificate program, and concurrently, a 36,000-square-foot haven, Building 4000, which will be the hub for the Automotive Technology program and a dedication space for their partnership with Toyota, the T-Ten program, along with potential future space pegged for Battery Electric Vehicle Instruction.
Phase II is not just about the new but also about refurbishing the current, as it sees the transformation of Building 5000's vacant spaces, left behind by the Automotive Technology program, these areas will be repurposed to enlarge labs for Welding Technology, in addition to this, the Building Construction Technology space will also undergo minor renovations to enhance storage space and add a new tech office, with outdoor work areas also set to expand to accommodate increased activities tied with the construction sites and other associated programs.
For those looking to dig deeper into ACC's expansion projects under the 2022 Bond, there's more information and updates on their website, where the blueprint of progress is regularly shared with the public.
