Site work and new construction of an educational facility in Aurora, Colorado. Working plans call for the construction of a educational facility; and for site work for a educational facility.

https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/metro/community-college-of-aurora-launches-campaign-to-construct-new-stem-building/ A capital campaign is underway at the Community College of Aurora to construct a new STEM building on campus, the college's first new building in 23 years. The 54,000 square foot Center for STEM, Power Mechanics and Applied Technologies is slated to open in 2023 on the college's CentreTech campus. The building will house CCA's diesel power mechanics program, the BuildStrong Academy and other STEM programs. CCA is the only public college in the state that offers an associate's degree in diesel mechanics. The program is currently housed in a building on the Lowry campus that was constructed in the 1940s and "has seen better days," vice president of academic success Bobby Pace told The Sentinel. The new building will allow the program to expand as it prepares to integrate more electric vehicle technology into its curriculum, Pace said. The BuildStrong Academy is a nonprofit that partners with CCA to boost the number of people in Colorado's construction industry, a sector that has been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're very thrilled that the timing of this building really will help address this workforce need," said John Wolfkill, executive director of the CCA Foundation. "We think it's just the most perfect time for this new opportunity at CCA." The new building will give CCA the opportunity to increase the number of people in its STEM programs, Pace said. It hopes to at least double the number of students enrolled in the diesel power program and BuildStrong's construction programs. The building will also be used to grow CCA's other engineering and science programs, particularly in solar and environmental sustainability. With the college's STEM programs all housed under one roof, Pace said there will be greater opportunities for collaboration and partnerships between academic and hands-on work. Much of the growth will be in certificates or other programs that students will be able to complete quickly and that will qualify them for better-paying jobs then they had before, he said. "For adult learners, they don't necessarily want to spend two to four years in school. They want to be upscaled and enter directly back into the workplace," Pace said. The one-year diesel program costs about $11,500 for in-state students, according to CCA's website. According to career website Indeed, the average diesel mechanic in the U.S. makes a base salary of $25.01 per hour. Wolfkill noted that only 31% of Aurora residents have bachelor's degrees. The increase in programs "will support more local residents to earn those college credentials that are going to prepare them for economic mobility," he said. In total, the building is expected to cost $14 million. Last year the college received $6.2 million from the state for the project, and has committed $1.5 million in its own reserve funds to the project. CCA received $1 million in private donations, and is in process of raising the remaining $5.3 million. Construction is slated to begin in May, with a move-in date of summer 2023. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The scope of services will include assistance to the State during the process of design, construction, and warranty period. Specific tasks to be performed by the Design/Build Entity (D/B) include those generally performed by the D/B construction community where the Designer is also the Contractor. Selection and award of this project will be based on a combination of qualifications and costs that represents the best overall value to the State. Date Email Questions (Clarifications) Due October 28 @ 4:00 Date Email Responses Issued November 4, 2021 Negotiation of D/B Contract December 22, 2021 Contract Approval (projected) January 19, 2022 Respondent initiated requests for clarification will be received any time prior to October 28th @ 4:00. All State responses will be issued by email addenda on or before November 4th. The State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals on the basis of being unresponsive to this RFP or for failure to disclose requested information. The final cost amount and scope of services may be negotiated at the States discretion. Award and contract will be contingent on deliverability of key proposed D/B Staff. CCA intends to construct and operate on the existing Centretech campus a new building with a project budget of $13,500,000 and approximately 50,000 gross square feet.