By Kim Hilsenbeck.
Residents in the Hays CISD taxing area can now register for courses at the new Austin Community College (ACC) Hays campus in Kyle. Classes are set to begin Jan. 13.
Last Thursday, Construction Project Manager Paul Mason and ACC officials Neil Vickers, vice president of finance and budget, and George Reyes, dean of student services for the Hays Campus, gave local media a sneak peek tour of the 91,000 gross square feet $45 million facility that will hold about 2,000 students. It’s the first in what could end up being a 10-building, 98-acre complex as the region grows.
Leading the way, Mason reminded everyone to watch his step as areas of the building are still under construction. Workers buzzed around the building, carrying building supplies, installing shelving.
Mason explained how the building design evolved from the college’s other campuses. For example, in the science labs, ACC built storage cubbies for backpacks, purses and coats.
| Austin Community College Construction Manager Paul Mason leads a group of local media on a sneak peek tour of the new $45 million ACC Hays campus, scheduled to open Jan. 13 for the spring semester. More than 500 students have already registered for classes. Mason pointed out features such as outdoor seating and other common areas meant to encourage students to stick around campus. (Photos by Kim Hilsenbeck) |
“This is something we designed that we haven’t had at other campuses,” he said.
Reyes said students will find many services at the location, including admissions records, financial aids, advising and counseling, assessment and testing, a disability office and learning labs.
The facility has two parking lots with roughly 250 spaces in each. It also boasts a volleyball court and outdoor seating areas, including a balcony off the third-floor library.
Mason said the design, created by architectural firm Gensler, incorporates common study/gathering areas in an effort to make the campus what he called “sticky.” That means encouraging students to stick around before, between and after classes making it feel more like college than just taking classes as a commuter.
The building’s three floors have a similar feel and layout but are distinguished by varied wallpaper and bright paint colors, with the goal to make finding the way around easier. He joked about the wallpaper of letters on the third floor being potentially controversial because it’s written in red and is meant to represent a child’s writing.
Views from the upper level floors offer a pastoral setting to the west including the Plum Creek Golf Course. Natural light plays a key feature throughout the facility.
Vickers said the location was selected in part for the number of acres available and its accessibility for commuters, since the site is near the interstate. He alluded to a potential rail stop in the future, saying a train station may end up close to the Hays campus.
Referring to ACC’s land acquisition plan, Vickers said, “We have made it a point to position ourselves around mass transit,” he said.
He referred to ACC campuses in Leander, a new site in Elgin and the one in Kyle – all locations that have, or offer the potential to have, rail.
“There are lots of discussions about expanding commuter service on this rail [that runs near the campus],” Vickers said.
He acknowledged that the fate of that rail station depends on Kyle City Council, which recently heard a presentation about LSTAR, a potential rail line that is part of a regional transit system. If the rail comes to Kyle, LSTAR wants a portion of the sales tax from the land a half-mile from the station.
Regardless of the fate of the rail line, Vickers said, “[For] students from South Austin it’s going to be easier to actually get [to the Hays campus] than the Rio Grande campus in Austin.”
The Rio Grande campus is at capacity.
Vickers said the final price tag for ACC Hays was $36 million for the building and $10 million for the land.
Reyes confirmed that 565 students registered for the spring semester as of last week. ACC officials expect 1,500 students by the fall semester.
ACC Hays experienced a one-year delay in the overall process stemming from a lawsuit filed by Kyle dentist Ray Wolbrecht, but made up for six of those months during construction. The campus should have opened this fall.
“We lost a semester because of that,” Vickers said.
Was ACC concerned about the lawsuit potentially derailing or scraping project altogether?
“No, we were never concerned,” Vickers said. “We knew we complied with all the requirements of the law. So the concern was more about delays with the project.”
Mason said the delays did not add anything to the construction costs.
“It didn’t affect the construction budget,” Mason said. “It affected the move-in. We’re having a few minor hiccups but nothing significant. You can imagine, moving in $6 million worth of stuff and dealing with 50-60 vendors; it’s a juggling act.”
ACC Hays Facts
Timeline:
• Nov 2., 2010 election, began design
• June 16, 2012 broke ground
• Classes begin Jan. 13, 2014
• Grand opening celebration Jan. 16, 2014
Budget:
• $35 million price tag
• $27 million for construction alone
• Approximately $10 million for land acquisition (98 acres) – Phase 1; dependent on enrollment but already master planned site to accommodate 10,000 students
$45 million total
