Pictured left to right: John Strybos, Director of ACCD Facilities Operation and Construction Management; Gary Beitzel, Secretary (Dist. 8), ACCD Board of Trustees;
William "Bill" Richardson, SAC Dean of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Bruce Leslie, ACCD Chancellor; Dr. Robert Zeigler, President of San Antonio College;
Robert Zarate, Chair, ACCD Board of Trustees; David Mrizek, SAC Director Planning and Budget, and college Capital Improvements Project liaison;
Foster Gene Rutherford, Vice President of 3D/Foster; and Dr. Lula W. Pelayo, SAC Dean of Professional and Technical Education.

Today San Antonio College and Alamo Community College District officials held a Groundbreaking Ceremony near the site of the construction on a new Nursing-Allied Health Building, an Academic Complex, and a Parking Garage.  

Speakers included SAC President Robert Zeigler, ACCD Chancellor Bruce Leslie, and ACCD Board Chair Roberto Zarate, Vice President of 3DI/Foster Gene Rutherford, and Director of ACCD Facilities Operations and Construction Management John Strybos.  The gathering included college faculty, staff, students, administrators, college user groups, architects, contractors, and community oversight committees, Fifth grade students from neighboring Travis Elementary School, and others.  SAC Outstanding Former Student Patsy Torres opened the event singing the National Anthem.            

The construction project is a result of a $450 million ACCD Bond Issue passed a year ago by Bexar County voters, $79 million of which is earmarked for new construction at San Antonio College, in addition to renovation of existing buildings and enhancements to infrastructure.  

“The SAC Nursing-Allied Health Building will significantly increase the number of our nursing graduates, helping to fill a growing nation-wide need for well-trained nurses,” said President Robert Zeigler.  

He said, “Taken together, this new construction will make it possible to serve our community better, to meet the demands of industry more effectively, and to create more educational and career opportunities for our students, which is our primary mission.”  

Zeigler added that the Parking Garage (1100 parking spaces) is scheduled for completion in January 2008 and the Nursing-Allied Health Building (over 120,000 sq. feet) and Academic Complex (124,000 sq. feet) will be operational by summer 2008.  

For more information about the construction, contact John Strybos at 733-2235.

 
Photo by: Leonard Ziegler, SAC staff photographer
Dec. 14, 2006