Construction around the Student Services building at Bakersfield College is under way and should be completed by August of 2015.

The construction taking place near the SS building is a district-run project to install an elevator for the exterior of the SS building, according to Craig Rouse, the manager of Maintenance and Operations for BC. Recent construction around campus was primarily for the campus-run project of working on the water and gas lines at BC. Rouse said that the water line project is complete, but the installation of an elevator at the SS building is important.

“When we built the Performing Arts building, the state of California said an elevator was needed to complete the project,” Rouse said.

Although the elevator will be attached to the SS building, the renovation of the Performing Arts building could not be officially approved without an elevator, and now Rouse believes the campus will be in a better situation once the new elevator is complete.

Currently, the project is still in the demolition phase. The sidewalk must first be demolished so that a pit for the elevator can be put in. Although the project is being managed from the district rather than on campus, Rouse said that it is important for Maintenance and Operations to work efficiently with the district. At one point, the project did not have proper signage and barricades blocking off construction, and this created a hazard to the BC community.

“Students were walking right into the construction area while workers were excavating,” Rouse said.

Although the project was missing tape and wasn’t up to the standards of BC, Maintenance and Operations employees were quick to fix the problem and hope to be diligent in making the project successful with the district. The elevator project is a major team effort as Maintenance and Operations works with the district contractors and BC’s public relations to ensure that updates on construction and campus accessibility are made available to students, faculty and staff of BC, according to Rouse.

Along with the elevator construction, another project that has been ongoing is the PA building bathroom project. Rouse said that this project should be completed by the end of March. He said that more projects will begin in the summer of this year. Current construction is being paid for by the 2002 measure G bond, a state-funded program.