From Gilbane Building Company's Public Relations Office
SANTA CLARA, Calif – Leading global construction and facilities-related services firm, Gilbane Building Company, joined in festivities with representatives from the city Mayor’s office, state assembly members, Senators, Congressman Ro Khanna, district facilities and school personnel, and the community to celebrate the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the opening of the brand new Student Engagement Center at Mission College in Santa Clara on January 24, 2018.
The ceremonies started off with musical fanfare by the Santa Clara Vanguard brass band and concluded with a ribbon cutting. A schedule of speakers included leaders from the school district and community, with Patrick Schmitt, Chancellor WVMCCD, giving an entertaining and enthusiastic endorsement of the new building. Representatives from the city Mayor’s office, state assembly members and senators, as well as 17th District Congressman Ro Khanna all spoke about the importance of the college campus as one of the leading community colleges in Santa Clara County.
“The current construction market made it very challenging to complete this building on time. Labor shortages made quality control and timeliness almost impossible to achieve. It is a testimony to Gilbane for keeping us on track for occupancy. I am very thankful for Gilbane’s persistence and commitment to getting us to the finish line”, said Gaye Dabalos, Director of Facilities Construction, West Valley-Mission Community College District.
“As evident in the address and throughout design & construction, this Student Engagement Center was made possible due to the District’s willingness to create an environment where all entities worked together towards the success of the project”, said Shaik Sihabuddin, Project Manager, Gilbane Building Company, “The building not only offers updated amenities to enable high quality education to the local community but also looks enticing while doing that.”
“The new building is truly beautiful and functional. I love the layout and feeling more connected to the rest of student services. I appreciate how much thought went into the new Assessment Center, it’s first rate” said Alison McGann, Educational Testing & Technical Specialist, Mission College.
Tours following the ribbon cutting ended with refreshments provided by the college. The new Engagement Center is the gateway to the state of the art classroom technology and learning support services, including technology labs, assessment and tutoring centers. The project will achieve a LEED Gold certification with energy efficiency at the forefront of the design.