Topping Out of Student Services Building
Construction for the new Student Services building has reached its peak.
Construction for the new Student Services building has reached its peak.
By Nick Santana
On Tuesday, July 13, 2021, Cuyamaca College held a topping out ceremony for the new Student Services Building, scheduled to open in summer 2022. The topping out tradition marks a construction project’s reaching of its highest point. The ceremony included an opportunity for members of the college to sign a construction beam before it was lifted by crane atop the frame of the 36,000-square-foot building. The beam was accompanied by an American flag and an evergreen tree. The tree is a steel-workers practice that symbolizes good luck for the future occupants, continued growth, and a safe jobsite.
“This milestone represents nearly a decade’s worth of effort to centralize student support at Cuyamaca College,” said President Juliana Barnes. She described the center as a welcoming campus gateway and a long-awaited hub for students to engage and receive support services.
The estimated $34.2 million Student Services Building will include new sustainable landscaping and the reconstruction of pathways to meet ADA accessibility standards.
Construction is funded by Proposition V, a $398 million bond approved by East County voters in 2012.