Final wall of San Jose City College physical education building complete

San Jose City College recently saw the final wall of its new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver gymnasium building erected this week, marking a major milestone in the college’s fast-tracked building schedule.

This spring, San Jose City College teamed up with general contractor, Alten Construction, to construct the new 39,000-square-foot, two-story gymnasium in 400 days. On site last week, Alten Construction’s superintendent, John Welch, stressed the importance of each day in order to meet this tight schedule and beamed with joy while overseeing his subcontractor, Berkeley Cement Inc., erect the concrete panels.

Each tilt-up concrete panel weighs between 40 to 67 tons and requires a crane to set it upright. All of the materials in the concrete panels are locally extracted, helping the college achieve its LEED goal.

With the panels erected, Welch said the construction site is less congested, and Alten Construction can move forward with site development as well as structural steel framework, metal decking and roofing to enclose the building and start interior construction.

“This project aligns with Alten Construction’s educational construction expertise,” said Alten Construction’s project manager, Noel Stenberg. “It also expands Alten’s client portfolio and geographic reach, adding to the dozens of other schools we’ve worked on.”

San Jose City College has about 20,000 students and is in the heart of Silicon Valley. Staff and students at SJCC will use the state-of-the-art building for several purposes, making use of its spectator gymnasium and regulation basketball court, fitness center, training rooms, classroom spaces and athletic department offices.

The gymnasium will be used for several sports, including basketball and volleyball. A variety of teams, such as the school’s football team, will use the training rooms in the building. The school’s colors–purple and grey–will be used throughout the facility, and 8-foot-tall letters spelling out the school’s team name, the Jaguars, will be a prominent feature in the fitness center.

“San Jose City College has been waiting for this for 15 years,” Stenberg said. “They’ve been making do with other facilities in different parts of campus, so they’re looking forward to having this state-of-the-art facility.”

The gymnasium building is being constructed on a 1.5-acre site adjacent to the student union and the football stadium. The $17.5-million construction project is scheduled for completion in 2017.

This is the first project Alten Construction has worked on for the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District, the district that manages San Jose City College.

About Alten Construction

Founded by Bob and Shannon Alten in 1995, Alten Construction not only offers a full range of commercial construction services but is also a licensed builder, with its own shop, carpenters and construction laborers. Alten Construction serves public and private clients throughout the San Francisco Bay area with a personal touch.

Over the past 20 years, Alten Construction has grown from a small public works company to employing more than 100 people with annual revenues of over $75 million. From tenant improvements to historic buildings to fire stations and schools, the company’s experience is extensive, and it completes superior and high-quality projects with leadership demonstrated at all stages of a project.

Alten Construction is committed to green building practices, and the firm has LEED Accredited Professionals on staff. Dedicated to the community, Alten Construction partners with small, local businesses and develops construction professionals through its internship opportunities and in-house training. Bob Alten is currently the vice president of the Construction Employees’ Association. The commercial construction firm is also affiliated with Marin Builders Association and the North Coast Builders Exchange. For more information, visit www.AltenConstruction.com or call 510-234-4200.