Photos by Asia Morris.

Long Beach City College (LBCC) celebrated the grand opening of two buildings that house the Electrical Technology Program and the Lifetime Learning Center at the Pacific Coast Campus this morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony courtesy of an LBCC-engineered robot.

The $20.3 million project was financed by voter-approved bonds and included the construction of one new building and the major renovation of another. The Electrical Technology Program and the Lifetime Learning Center, which offers Senior Studies programs, share the new two-story 24,454-square-foot Building QQ, while the adjacent renovated 7,667-square-foot Building RR is dedicated to Electrical Technology.

“Thanks to our local voters, Long Beach City College has been able to modernize our Electrical Technology facilities to provide a more robust education and training program for this high-demand industry,” Dr. Reagan F. Romali, LBCC superintendent-president, said in a statement. “In addition, the new Lifetime Learning Center will allow us to expand and provide high quality programs to more seniors in our community.”

Along with providing students and faculty with state-of-the-art labs and tech, new “green” features were also implemented to save energy and water use including two electric car charging stations. LBCC’s electrical technology students can earn associate of science degrees or choose from multiple specialized certificate programs, such as solar panel installation and design, networking and more, according to the release.

The Electrical Technology program, which was previously located at the Liberal Arts Campus, joins other Advanced Manufacturing programs at the Pacific Coast Campus, including welding, computer aided design, metal fabrication and computer numerical control, making LBCC the only community college in the region to offer such a high number of Advanced Manufacturing programs on one campus. Faculty and students will be able to collaborate across departments.

Features of Buildings QQ and RR include:

• 7 Electrical Classrooms: Transformer Motor, Cisco/Networking, Active Learning (AutoCAD), 2 Active Learning (Tab Arm), Labvolt, Motor Control.
• Specialized labs: Motor Control and PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) Lab, Cisco Networking and Building Automation Lab, Building Lighting and Automation Lab, Robotics Lab. LBCC will be one of first community colleges in the state with a dedicated Building Lighting and Automation Lab and was built with California’s highest levels of energy efficiency standards.
• Outdoor work yard for solar panels.

Nearly full-sized traffic signal intersection work station for traffic signal technicians.
Full Automation wing that will include Robotics, Electro-hydraulics and Pneumatics.
The new Lifetime Learning Center features new computers, upgraded technology and new facilities that will allow for additional classes.

The project was paid for with funds from the Measure E Bond, passed by voters in 2008, which granted $440 million for new construction, renovation and repairs at both LBCC’s Pacific Coast and Liberal Arts campuses. Construction began in the spring of last year. The architect was HPI Architecture and the builder was RC Construction, while the Cordoba Corp. manages LBCC’s bond development program.