What is the Sustainable Building Program?

Funded mainly by bonds approved by Los Angeles voters in 2001, 2003, and 2008, the Los Angeles Community College District's Sustainable Building Program is a $6 billion effort to modernize the nine campuses in the District.

The need for improvement at Los Angeles Community Colleges

Before the Building Program started, the District's nine colleges were in various states of disrepair and neglect, some having not seen major capital investment in decades. Compared with other community colleges in the area, each of the campuses needed major improvements to help prepare students for 21st century jobs.

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Improvements benefit students as they seek training, jobs and transfer opportunities

The Building Program will improve training for students, preparing them for jobs in such fields as nursing and other health-care fields, public safety, manufacturing, automotive, technology, construction, and entertainment. Students trained at LACCD colleges will be prepared to fill the jobs that Los Angeles employers are creating now and in the future. Additionally, better facilities will mean that students transferring to a four-year college will be better prepared to take the next academic step.

A better place to work and a resource for communities

By providing more modern facilities, the Building Program will enable the District and its colleges to attract and retain the best faculty and staff. With new library, child development and athletic facilities, the colleges will also foster improvement in their neighborhoods.

A stimulus for the Los Angeles economy

The Building Program’s $6 billion in spending could not have come at a better time for the Los Angeles and Southern California economies. While the economy generally is struggling, the Building Program is providing well-paying jobs throughout Los Angeles, reducing the unemployment rolls. In addition, Building Program expenditures are focused on local, small, emerging and disabled-veteran-owned businesses.

One of the largest publicly funded Sustainable Building Programs in the nation

The Building Program is carrying out its mission with the environment in mind. Its building techniques and practices strive to save water, limit air pollution and emphasize the use of recycled materials. The Building Program also includes an energy plan intended to encourage efficiency while also generating renewable energy, particularly solar power. The Building Program’s green policies have been recognized with awards by some of the most prestigious environmental organizations in the nation. And the Building Program's green strategies, while contributing to the fight against global climate change, also are creating a more inspiring campus environment.

A commitment to safety and sound management

The Sustainable Building Program, compared to similar construction efforts, ranks in the top 10% in safety. Additionally, the Sustainable Building Program maintains a high ratio (78 percent) of program dollars spent on so-called hard costs (e.g., actual construction, materials testing, and land acquisition) with only 22 percent spent on soft costs (e.g., architectural and design services, construction management, legal services, and program management). What’s more, the Program’s financial and performance audits have been consistently positive.

The Facts

Funds from the Sustainable Building Program have been allocated as follows: