April 2021 | Rio Grande Campus Renovations 27 Apr 2021, 6:30 pm

The original project is now substantially complete as of March 1, 2021. We have performed several architectural interior and exterior punch list inspections to assess the quality of construction and make comments regarding cosmetic fixes that still need to be addressed. Bartlett Cocke (BCGC) is working with all the subcontractors to address these punch lists and will continue to do so for the next few weeks. ACC personnel will re-walk the building when BCGC deems the corrective work to be completed so we can close out the punch lists and sign off with our approval.

We currently have a temporary certificate of occupancy from the City of Austin to occupy the building. Army Futures Command (AFC) moved into phase 1 of its space in mid-March. The Software Factory at ACC is the first soldier-led software factory for the Army. The vision is to develop a pathway to two- and four-year degrees and connect soldiers and students with industry partners. Read more here.

We still await a final Certificate of Occupancy from the city. This is pending a final fire inspection that will be called when the fire smoke protection systems in the two atriums are tested and certified by the city fire marshal.

We are now in a soft holding pattern. We have a large permit update for substantial interior renovations and tenant improvement work in shell spaces on levels 0 and 1 as well as on level 2 for AFC, in review at the city.

Once granted, we can issue a notice to proceed for construction to BCGC, and then we can commence with the construction work, which is expected to take approximately seven months to complete.

ACC hosted Austin American-Statesman reporter Michael Barnes on a tour of the space for an upcoming feature.

March 2021 | Rio Grande Campus Renovations 12 Mar 2021, 6:18 pm

Austin Community College District’s (ACC) Rio Grande Campus received a temporary certificate of occupancy for the building on February 11. We moved furniture and equipment into Army Future Command’s (AFC) Phase I space over the last couple of weeks. On March 8, AFC started their occupancy of the Phase I space. There are still minor architectural punch items that need to be addressed within their space. Our contractor’s team is coordinating schedules for access with AFC leadership to complete the work.

The rest of the building remains unoccupied. Bartlett Cocke General Contractors continues to address architectural punch items. The testing and balancing of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems continues for the next two to three months. The ACC network is up and running in the building. ACC Security is starting the programming and deployment of new Genetec control systems for surveillance cameras, door access control, intrusion detection, and emergency police dispatch call stations. This effort is expected to take five to six weeks.

All the exterior landscaping was severely damaged by the winter storm. Many of the plantings will have to be replaced. We are looking to schedule inspections for the exterior façade, roof, and landscape to generate new punch lists for those areas in the back half of March.

There will be a lull in construction once the punch list work is completed. The month of April will be quieter. We are currently trying to get three interior renovation plan sets to the city for permit review.

January/February 2021 | ACC Highland Phase 2 12 Mar 2021, 6:15 pm

HLC2 is complete, except for minor touch-ups and testing/commissioning, and open for the spring semester.

January/February 2021 | Rio Grande Campus Renovations 12 Mar 2021, 5:28 pm

RGC 1000 is quickly nearing completion. However, the college experienced a minor delay of a couple of weeks due to the impacts of a COVID-related shutdown that stopped progress of the work earlier in January. Construction is now back up and running at full speed. For the next two weeks, the focus will be on trying to pass all the City of Austin final inspections for plumbing, mechanical, electrical, fire, and ultimately, the building overall. The issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy is wholly dependent on how those inspections go. We have built in a range of final inspection approval dates to accommodate some unforeseen hiccups.

As for the work itself, 95 percent of all the flooring, decorative ceilings, and decorative walls inside the building are installed. Only a few issues are being tracked due to damaged material that arrived on site that needs to be reordered. All the decorative lighting fixtures have been installed on all levels. The stainless steel handrail systems are also being installed. The installation of audio/visual systems, including the projectors, screens, wall-mounted TVs, etc., are starting to be installed by the A/V subcontractor, Whitlock. This process will take several weeks to complete, but it’s not work tied to the final inspections. ACC and the design team have performed architectural punch inspections to note all cosmetic deficiencies on all floors. The general contractor will spend the next several weeks addressing those issues and we will re-walk the building to make sure those items were appropriately corrected later in February. We expect a “final clean” of the building to happen at that time, right before handoff to ACC for ownership.

Significant progress has also been made around the building grounds. The landscaping work is about 85 percent complete. The decorative pavers have been installed in the courtyards and exterior handrails are being installed at ramps and stairs. The landscaping beds are being prepped for the planting of shrubs, cacti, and smaller trees. The dumpster pads, walls, and gates have been installed as well.

By the end of February, the building should be deemed substantially complete and ready for occupancy, once we pass all of the inspections noted above.

November 2020 | ACC Highland Phase 2 22 Dec 2020, 9:40 pm

Construction is substantially complete while final testing and commissioning of all systems are still ongoing. Final corrections/touchups and final cleaning are occurring as well. Departmental moves have begun and faculty and staff are starting to set up their spaces prior to the start of the spring semester beginning in January 2021. The building remains closed to the general public as there is still a lot of activity inside getting things finished and set up.

November 2020 | Rio Grande Campus Renovations 22 Dec 2020, 9:38 pm

Over the last month, we’ve made a good bit of progress toward completing this project. We are only two months from substantial completion! Inside the building, on Levels 0 and 1, most of the floor finishes have been installed. All doors, door hardware, final wall paint, baseboards, and other cosmetic finishes are fully installed. We have passed the city’s above ceiling inspections on both floors and have also performed internal above ceiling inspections with our Buildings and Maintenance shops. The installation of interior wall panel systems and decorative glass curtainwall systems is ongoing on Levels 1 and 2. Rough-in of all A/V systems is complete and installation of A/V equipment is about to get underway on Levels 0 and 1.

On the upper levels, 2 and 3, floor finishes are 75 percent installed and other cosmetic finishes are going in over the next couple of weeks. Glass marker boards and tack boards are going in at all the classrooms and labs. Above ceiling inspections were performed by the city and our Buildings and Maintenance shops before Thanksgiving. In addition, terrazzo stair treads and risers are being installed over the original concrete stairs on all levels. Most of the lighting fixtures are also installed including the custom LED lighting strips on the wall panel systems. Display cases have also been installed on Levels 1, 2, and 3 in common hallways and at public entrances. 80 percent of all communications cabling is installed throughout the building and the subcontractor is working to prepare the IDF closets for receipt of switching equipment from ACC by the first of December.

Outside the building, the landscaping work continues. New pedestrian sidewalks and stairs have been poured. Decorative limestone retaining walls have been installed, most of the larger trees have been planted, and all rough grading has been completed. New wall decking is being installed in the north courtyard. In the north parking lot, the fabric shade structures over the handicap spaces are fully installed. The final asphaltic resurfacing of the parking lot is complete. All trees have been planted, The light poles have been set and irrigation systems are being installed.

October 2020 | Rio Grande Campus Renovations 4 Nov 2020, 10:58 pm

The project is entering the home stretch! We are about three months out from substantial completion. The interiors are really starting to come together.

Final finishes are being installed on Level 0, including carpet tile, storefront glazing panels, final coats of wall paint, ceiling trim, and tile and light fixtures. Level 0 is the closest to being complete. Following closely behind is Level 1, where final finishes are going in on that level, too. Progress is less far along on Levels 2 and 3, but they will catch up there in the next month. Glass marker boards are being installed in classrooms and labs on Levels 1 and 2. Doors and door hardware are going in on Levels 2 and 3. Curtainwall glazing systems are also being installed on Level 2 and 3 in the core of the building in spaces that will be occupied by the Army Futures Command.

In restrooms on all levels, all ceramic floor and wall tiling is set and grouted and all toilet partitions have been installed. All plumbing and light fixtures are also installed. The restrooms are nearly complete.

All terrazzo flooring in common areas and corridors is complete on all four floors and floor protection is installed on top to keep the floors pristine while work continues on in the building.

On the exterior of the building, all the storefront door and glazing systems are installed at Levels 0 and 1. The historical replica painted wall doors are also installed. Temporary protection is wrapped on those doors to keep them clean.

At the north parking lot, irrigation systems are being installed. All light poles are installed. The parking lot asphaltic surface topcoat will be milled in the next week or so and then paint restriping of parking lot spaces will be done near the end of the project in December.

At the south courtyard, the stepped limestone Tillman walls are about 80 percent complete. The overall impression of the courtyard is really taking shape. At the north courtyard, rough grading is completed. Limestone retaining walls are going in and footings for the wood deck structure are being poured. Electrical rough-in of our outdoor light fixtures and power receptacles is also ongoing.

The main fiber connection for IT connectivity is being pulled from RGC 3000 to RGC 1000 this week. The network should be up and running by mid-November or so.

October 2020 | ACC Highland Phase 2 4 Nov 2020, 10:49 pm

Construction is nearly substantially complete. Final testing and commissioning of all systems are still ongoing. Final corrections/touchups and final cleaning are occurring as well. The telescopic seating for the Dance Studio will be installed soon. Equipment is still being installed throughout the building and furniture is being placed in its correct location throughout also. Computer installation will be forthcoming. Departmental moves will begin soon so that faculty and staff may set up their spaces prior to the start of the spring semester beginning in January 2021.

September 2020 | Rio Grande Campus Renovations 30 Sep 2020, 3:45 pm

Rio Grande Campus will be home to the new first-of-its-kind Army Futures Command Software Factory. The factory will take up a portion of two floors of the building and is expected to open in mid- to late-January 2021. The factory will not impact the renovation project timeline. Construction remains on track to be completed in spring 2021, and move-in will begin at the end of spring and continue through summer. Classes are expected to resume in fall 2021. Learn more here.

September 2020 | ACC Highland Phase 2 30 Sep 2020, 3:43 pm

The Black Box Theatre wood floor is being installed. The wood stage flooring in the Music Performance Hall will be installed soon. The fixed seating in the performance spaces is being installed. Final touches and last-minute finishes are being completed. The mechanical and electrical systems have had a final inspection. The plumbing and fire alarm systems are being tested and will be inspected soon. The majority of the furniture has been installed and equipment installation is well underway. The exterior furniture has been installed as well.