March 24, 2021

SAN DIEGO, CA – Balfour Beatty has been awarded a contract to deliver Southwestern Community College’s (SWC) Instructional Building No.1/University Center (IB1), and Student Union Complex (SU), valued at $140 million. As part of SWC’s Facilities Master Plan (FMP), the two new educational building projects on the college’s Chula Vista campus will play an integral role in preparing students for four-year universities and high-paying jobs and meet the educational needs of Southern San Diego County residents for the next 20 years.

Balfour Beatty is providing pre-construction services to deliver SWC’s new educational buildings as part of the college’s FMP phase one projects on the Chula Vista campus. The IB1 will be an 80,000-square-foot facility that will address the demand for highly effective general-use instructional spaces by offering a variety of classrooms and labs, faculty offices, a University Center, and a planetarium. Additionally, SWC’s new 84,000-square-foot SU will complete the heart of campus and feature a cafeteria, bookstore, and student union for students to gather, socialize and interact with their peers.

Funded by the voter-approved bond program totaling $400 million, SWC’s FMP supports the institution’s Educational Master Plan (EMP) which assesses the college’s external and internal environment and provides recommendations on instructional and support programs that will meet the changing needs of the Southern San Diego County community. These plans are the framework for campuses’ development that will address future and current academic and support services space, identify the building and facilities required, establish building facilities priorities, and formulate project costs through the year 2025.

“It is an honor to continue our partnership with SWC in the delivery of their Instructional Building No. 1 and University Center, and Student Union Complex,” said Brian Cahill, Balfour Beatty president in California. “We are pleased at the opportunity to help SWC advance their higher education experience for students and showcase our team’s expertise in being one of the top higher education builders in California. By focusing on the benefits of partnership and engagement, we look forward to working with our client and partners to provide quality academic and comprehensive support services facilities that will ensure equitable access and pathways to student success.”   

Balfour Beatty has been working with SWC for 10 years completing seven projects including the delivery of the college’s new Wellness and Aquatic Complex and Devore Stadium. The company is also general contractor for the current delivery of SWC’s Landscape and Nursery Technology project and Operations and Warehouse Relocation project. As the second-ranked general contractor in the education sector by ENR California, the delivery of SWC’s IB1 and SU is the largest contract award for Balfour Beatty’s California team in the higher education market sector.

Construction for SWC’s new IB1 and SU facilities will commence in August 2022 and is scheduled for delivery in the Fall of 2024.