By Andrea Vasquez
Construction on San Jacinto College’s new campus facilities has reached near total completion. Funded by the College’s 2015 bond referendum of $450 million, new building additions and renovations to the Central, North, South, and Maritime Campuses have been steadily completed from 2019 to now.
The San Jacinto College Central Campus’ newest additions include the LyondellBassell Center for Petrochemical Energy & Technology (CPET) and the campus Welcome Center.
The $60 million CPET facility is the largest petrochemical training facility in the Gulf Coast Region. Built for and designed by industry, the 151,000 square-foot instructional complex features a multifunctional glass pilot lab and a separate exterior 8,000-square-foot glycol distillation unit used to teach process operations and develop troubleshooting skills for entry, advanced credit students, and incumbent workers. CPET also features 35 custom interior labs, 20 interactive classrooms, and 3 computer labs. The newest update to the facility is a connecting walkway that joins CPET to the main portion of the Central Campus. CPET houses the air conditioning technology, electrical technology, electronics, engineering design graphics (drafting), environmental health and safety technology, instrumentation/analyzer technology, nondestructive testing, pipefitting/fabricator, process technology, and welding programs.
“San Jacinto College continues to invest in our students with tremendous support from our community,” said San Jacinto College Central Campus Provost Van Wigginton. “Our new Welcome Center and the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology (CPET) are just two of the major improvements to the Central Campus that help students and their families achieve their dreams. Our new CPET facility was built by industry for industry with leading edge technology that highlights the key role the petrochemical industries play in the economic prosperity of our community. We are so proud of all of our community and industry partners’ contributions.”
The Central Campus’ Welcome Center has also been seeing its share of students. The $16.6 million 43,000- square-foot facility serves as a “one-stop” student support services building for admissions, enrollment services, veteran services, financial aid, tutoring, testing centers, education planning, and counseling, and the campus business office. The Welcome Center will soon have an additional street entrance and roundabout for easier access ad traffic flow.
In addition to the new facilities, the Central Campus has also had major renovations to the Frels classroom building (C20). The $4.2 million upgrades to the 60,000 square-foot building include additional classroom and lab space and a new dining area to support three early college high school programs at the Central Campus: Pasadena Early College High School, Pasadena Memorial Early College High School, and Sam Rayburn Early College High School. Renovations are also still underway at the McCollum building (C2, C3, and C4), repurposing the space for updated classrooms and office space. East-side building upgrades have been completed, and the west-side upgrades are beginning.
Construction was completed last year on the new San Jacinto College North Campus Cosmetology and Culinary Center. The $22.3 million 57,000-square-foot facility provides the latest state-of-the-art facilities for students to get real-world, industry-standard training in the cosmetology and culinary fields.
The culinary wing features a bakery, kitchens with multiple food prep stations, ovens, stoves, and walk-in refrigerators and freezers. The facility also houses a bistro dining area available to the public with capabilities of hosting catered events with meals prepared by culinary students.
The cosmetology wing is equipped with a full-service salon and spa where students, faculty, and community members can experience services such as massages, facials, haircuts, hair color treatments, manicures, and pedicures.
“The Cosmetology and Culinary Center is a fantastic resource and experience for our students with its state-of-the-art design, modern labs, and new technology,” said San Jacinto College North Campus Provost Dr. Alexander Okwonna. “We are so excited to bring this opportunity to our students and the community at large, given that both the full-service salon and spa and the bistro dining area will be open to the public. I want to thank our community for supporting us and approving the bond to serve our students better.”
The San Jacinto College South Campus’ new additions include the Engineering and Technology Center and Cosmetology Center.
The $27.7 million 74,000 square-foot Engineering and Technology Center features a MakerSpace with a 3D print shop, metal shop, and a woodshop to allow students to build their designs. The facility also has new computer labs complete with industry-standard software for the academic and technical programs offered in the building. The Engineering and Technology Center houses the engineering technology, biomedical equipment repair technology, engineering design graphics, electronics, and computer information technology programs.
The South Campus Cosmetology Center began welcoming students in spring 2021. The new $15.8 million 39,300 square-foot facility boasts student lounge areas, a full-service salon, and updated labs and classrooms to enhance workforce training for those interested in a cosmetology career.
“At South Campus, the Engineering and Technology Center combines cutting edge instructional tools and beautiful, innovative learning spaces,” said San Jacinto College South Campus Provost Dr. Aaron Knight. “Likewise, the Cosmetology Center is a state-of-the-art education and training facility. Both help San Jacinto College continue to provide our community with excellence in workforce training and academic transfer.”
Additionally, the South Campus building S23 is being converted into a new Central Plant located on the north end of the campus next to the Cosmetology Center. Current plans are to have the building by the year end. Other campus upgrades and renovations included removing legacy structures in the courtyard, replacing drinking water pipes, and removing all overhead powerlines.
The San Jacinto College Maritime Campus also received some upgrades for its training needs. The campus now features a new fire trainer, fire house, and new lifeboat davits.
For more information on the San Jacinto College South Campus bond construction projects and bond construction updates College-wide, visit sanjac.edu/bond.
