Construction
canceled for second parking structure
By Joseph Serna
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Due to the rise in the costs of construction, according to Cal State Long Beach
officials, CSULB will not be building a second parking structure.
“
We’re experiencing a rise in costs never before seen in construction, or
the country,” said Scott Charmack, the vice president of physical planning
facilities management.
While in an average year the costs of construction may increase 2 or 2.5 percent,
this year’s costs have risen almost 30 percent, according to Charmack.
“
You have some natural disasters too, that affects costs [of construction],” said
Enrique Robles, construction manager at CSULB. After a number of disasters such
as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, entire regions need to be rebuilt.
The cost of construction is increasing, and Charmack said he was not sure whether
or not the financial burden will be passed onto the students.
The parking structure currently being built off Palo Verde Street is scheduled
to be completed in late summer or early fall. It is now the only parking structure
that will be built in the near future.
Even this structure has faced some hurdles. Due to soft soil in certain parts
of the lot, some of the concrete pillars had to be reinforced, causing a brief
delay in construction. Time had been budgeted into the schedule for variables
such as this, so they could stay on track.
“
We have some breathing room still,” Robles said.
The new structure, which is still expected to be built by the beginning or early
part of the fall semester 2006, will add 1,500 new parking spaces. That figure
includes the 750 that were removed for construction.
Because CSULB was operating under a fixed budget for the two structures, cutting
one from the plan is going to leave a surplus of money.
According to Charmack, that money will be set aside until enough money is raised
to build the second.
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