Photo courtesy of LBCC.
Long Beach City College’s Liberal Arts Campus broke ground Thursday on a renovation and upgrade project for Building P, officials announced the same day.
The $8.7 million construction project is the first large-scale renovation project the 87-year-old building has received.
“This renovation project will modernize the oldest building on campus while preserving many of the historic and architectural features,” LBCC Acting Superintendent-President Ann-Marie Gabel said in a statement. “We will pay respect to the building’s history while making the necessary upgrades to meet the needs of today’s students in the English department.”
Building P, a 16,016-square-foot structure located near the corner of Faculty Avenue and East Carson Street, is home to the English Department’s creative writing, composition, literature and journalism programs.
The construction project includes building five classrooms, one computer lab, a multi-purpose room, a newsroom for the Viking Newspaper, two meeting rooms and 12 offices. Rooms in the building will receive technology upgrades such as projectors that link to various devices.
Renovations will also bring Building P up-to-date with current building codes including accessibility to disabled students, fire alarm upgrades and seismic structures.
Funding for the project comes from the Measure E Bond, which passed during November’s general election with 74 percent of voter approval. In total, the Measure E Bond has provided $616 million for construction and infrastructure projects at LBCC’s Liberal Arts and Pacific Coast Campuses.
Building P is of historical significance to LBCC, as it was the first complete permanent building when the college opened in 1935. It originally housed amenities for the debate and drama departments, including six stages, and was used as a theater until the 1950s.
Los Angeles-based Steinberg Architects are the designers behind Building P’s renovations. The group’s work includes local and international projects, such as buildings at Stanford University, UCLA and residential and commercial businesses in China.
Construction for Building P is expected to be completed by fall 2018.