C.W. Driver Companies Breaks Ground on San Diego Mesa College Fine Arts Building

C.W. Driver Companies, a San Diego Chapter and AGC of California member, broke ground on the $12.8 million construction of a new fine arts building for San Diego Community College District’s Mesa College.

The four-story, 26,500-sq-ft building will be located on the site of the former I-300 building and accommodate classrooms and studios for drawing, painting, photography, sculpting and ceramics. Located at 7250 Mesa College Drive, construction is expected to be completed in summer 2018.

"We’re confident that the new fine arts building will serve as a highly visible and thriving hub for the school’s robust fine arts program," said Hank Withaar, project executive at C.W. Driver Companies. "C.W. Driver Companies is proud to be working with the San Diego Community College District on this project, which will foster collaboration and a sense of creative community on campus for years to come."

The building’s first floor will serve as the main entrance and house the Mesa College Art Gallery as well as an art history lecture classroom. The second and third stories will have large, open studio classrooms for drawing, digital graphics and sculpture, while the fourth floor will contain ceramics and painting studios. Shop spaces will be located adjacent to the studios and classrooms to support the shared use of art equipment, materials and other resources.

"San Diego Mesa College is so thankful to the community and thrilled to see the I-300 rebuild moving forward," stated Leslie Shimazaki, dean, arts and languages. "This building remodel has been carefully designed to both encourage and highlight creativity, and with its use we look forward to supporting the success of our art students and programs."

C.W. Driver Companies is working alongside HGW Architects on the project, which is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. The building will feature simple industrial finishes, open floor plans and high ceilings. The project also includes the construction of new sidewalks and walkways, curb and gutter improvements and new street access.

In addition to Withaar, C.W. Driver Companies project members include Richard Freeark, senior vice president; Ricka Iwatsu, chief estimator; Eric Schultz, project manager; Daniel Moreno superintendent; Brandon Silveira, assistant project manager; Kenny Kimbrough, project engineer; and Karen Lord, project coordinator.

C.W. Driver Companies is a premier builder serving California since 1919. As a leader in general contracting and construction management services, C.W. Driver Companies are on the cutting edge across a broad spectrum of industries, including education, commercial/office, technology, healthcare/biomedical, mixed-use, assisted living, entertainment, retail, industrial and civic. C.W. Driver Companies has the ability to build a variety of projects, from large tenant improvements to small renovations and specialized projects through its affiliates Driver SPG and Good & Roberts. C.W. Driver Companies has offices located in Los Angeles, Irvine, Rancho Cucamonga, Anaheim, San Diego, Carlsbad and San Jose. For more information, please visit www.cwdriver.com. Follow C.W. Driver Companies on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.