Fourteen months after breaking ground, Gavilan College
celebrated the grand opening of its Adaptive Physical Education and
Activity Center on Tuesday.
Fourteen months after breaking ground, Gavilan College celebrated the grand opening of its Adaptive Physical Education and Activity Center on Tuesday.
The gym will provide students with special physical limitations, including back injuries and arthritis, the opportunity to participate in physical education courses in what Gavilan officials are calling one of the top such facilities at a state community college.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, visitors had the chance to tour the new state-of-the-art facility and see demonstrations of the specialized equipment. The new building is adjacent to the gym at the south end of the campus.
The Adaptive Physical Education building serves individuals with a multitude of adaptive needs, including those who experience permanent and temporary injuries. Participants in the program also include seniors and people recovering from stroke or who have connective tissue limitations, for example.
The Adaptive P.E. and Activity Center includes a fitness and conditioning center with half a basketball court, full volleyball court or two badminton court capabilities. A human performance lab will hold special equipment. Its layout was carefully planned for accessibility.
Fall semester classes have been under way in the building while exterior work was completed.
To participate in the Adaptive Physical Education classes, individuals must have a medically verified disability. It is expected to serve 150-200 individuals each semester.
When the center is not in use by adaptive program students, it will be made accessible to other students as well.
Kitchell CEM provided construction management, and Rushford Construction Co. built the center designed by KBZ Architects.
The project was funded through a voter-approved state bond for educational facilities, Proposition 1A. It included the construction of the new building and renovation of the women’s locker room.
It took more than a decade to obtain state funding for the nearly $3.9-million project. Those funds include a $3.12 million construction bid, plus soft costs, such as architect’s fees, inspection fees and engineering fees.
Since construction began last July, Gavilan trustees have approved $225,964 in unforeseen construction costs, most recently for additional framing, sheet metal work and roofing costs. Up to 10 percent of the project cost may be spent on unexpected work, which in this case would be about $300,000.
The extra costs bring the total price of the center to $4.13 million.
Lori Stuenkel is a staff writer for The Gilroy Dispatch.
