Skagit Valley College to begin design work on new building

May 18—MOUNT VERNON — If all goes according to plan, in a few years students at Skagit Valley College will have a new building complete with a modern library capable of better meeting their needs.

This year, the state Legislature approved about $2.25 million for the design work on what will become the Campus Commons.

"We're very excited," Skagit Valley College President Tom Keegan said. "The college community is looking forward to designing a building to meet the needs of our students today and into the future, and create an instructional environment that is reflective of the high standards of Skagit Valley College."

While the college must still wait for construction funding, the plan for the Campus Commons is to have it house a new library, and become the new home of the college's culinary department — needs that have been at the top of the college's facilities master plan since 2012, Keegan said.

The new library will replace the college's current library, which was built 54 years ago, Keegan said.

That building is not seismically sound, has leaking walls and a leaking roof, a faulty HVAC system, lacks the systems needed to protect the college's special collections, and no longer meets the educational and technological requirements of a modern campus library, Keegan said.

"The teaching and learning process has changed," he said. "Fifty-four years ago, you went into a library for quiet, solo work. Now, you go into a library to work with other students in small group settings."

The college's culinary department, which is currently tucked into the Gary Knutzen Cardinal Center, also does not have adequate learning and work spaces for students and staff, Keegan said.

"It's inadequate kitchen space," he said. "The faculty have done an amazing job of working with their limitations in the current facility."

While students who enter the campus from the college's west side are greeted by the new Charles Lewis Hall, students who enter campus from the east side must generally walk through loading areas to get to their classes, Keegan said.

The Campus Commons would attempt to address that, creating a more welcoming environment for students, he said.

"I think the physical environment of an educational institution sets the tone for the learning environment," Keegan said. "When we create welcoming spaces, and when we create high quality teaching and learning spaces, we create high expectations amongst students, faculty and staff."

The design process is expected to take 18 months to two years, Keegan said. Once the building is designed, its construction will go on the list to be considered for state funding, he said.

— Reporter Kera Wanielista: 360-416-2141, kwanielista@skagitpublishing.com, Twitter: @Kera_SVH, facebook.com/KeraReports