EPCC enrollment growth continues, need grows to improve campuses

VICTOR CALZADA-EL PASO TIMES Rick Lobato, director of the El Paso Community College physical plant, walks in a staircase at the college's Temple Mount Sinai building at 103 Montana Thursday.

VICTOR CALZADA-EL PASO TIMES Rick Lobato, director of the El Paso Community College physical plant, stood in the ballroom of the college's Temple Mout Sinai building Thursday.

El Paso Community College continues on the path of student enrollment growth and with it, a need to address undersized campuses and outdated facilities.

Preliminary repair costs for priority concerns are projected to be about $34.4 million, according to facility assessments conducted by architectural firms SmithGroupJJR, based in Michigan and Mijares-Mora Architects, Inc., of El Paso.

EPCC approved an $824,510 contract for the firms to create a master plan to determine the needs of each of its five existing campuses and what services will be needed at the Fort Bliss campus it intends to build.

The student population in 2013 was about 29,000 and is projected to be about 45,000 in 12 years.

"Initial readings are that most of our campuses are undersized," said Ruben Gallardo, director of purchasing and contract management. "We have grown tremendously and our space has not adapted."

Gallardo said EPCC should get a first draft of the master plan in February and have a finalized version in April.

Some of the issues he said need to be addressed are the lack of gathering spaces for students at all of the campuses, small classroom sizes, heating ventilation and cooling system replacements and restrooms and stairways that don't meet code.

Gallardo said it is unclear how EPCC will fund the improvement projects at this point, but the first step is getting the master plan completed.

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EPCC enrollment growth continues, need grows to improve campuses