Grossmont College in El Cajon will break ground Aug.8 on a major $39-million renovation of its student center and its combined administration and student services building.

Over the last few years, Grossmont College has added or modernized six classroom, laboratory and learning resource buildings, as well as constructed a multistory parking structure and made major changes to the campus entrance and perimeter roads.

Architects Mosher Drew Watson Ferguson designed the Griffin Center to bring people together with social spaces including dining areas, lounges, game room, bistro, retail space, student organization and student government offices, student health, and meeting room space that will also serve as the district governing board meeting room.

Its location as an initial contact building at the primary campus entrance is the reason for its entries, plazas and circulation to be visible and attract people. The 46,700-sq-ft center will incorporate audiovisual features to provide students with the latest information about campus events.

The 37,000-sq-ft Student Services and Administration building was created for easy access to the admissions and registration processes at Grossmont College.

�All of the main departments that students need to access are organized around a central spine with a sky lit pyramidal open space with easy access to service counters and computers,� says project architect Felipe Ricketts.

Each of these new facilities will include broad, colorful, bright and naturally lit interior circulation routes that will allow students to go through the buildings on their way to and from campus, and be provided the opportunity to meet, become informed and participate in campus life.

Both buildings are on track to receive LEED silver certification.

Rudolph and Sletten will be leading the CM multi-prime construction projects. Bidding for a general contractor was completed recently, but not yet announced.

The buildings are scheduled to be completed for occupancy in September and November of 2011 and will be Rudolph and Sletten�s sixth completed project for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.

The renovation project is funded by a combination of Proposition R, a facilities bond measure passed by East County voters in 2002, and other local funds.

The design team includes the following consultants: Stedman & Dyson Structural Engineers, SC Engineers, ILA + Zammit Engineering, Nolte & Associates, KTU+A, O�Connor Construction Management, WEBB Design, Johnson Consulting, Drew George & Partners and Harmon Nelson.