Gone are the days of walking out of the Social Science building and around the Family Food Science building to get to the Henry Madden Library.
The central quad of the Social Science, Family Food Science, McKee Fisk and Professional Human Services buildings has reopened.
Construction in the quad began before the fall semester began, and it now reopened two weeks before the semester ends.
The timing of the renovations came with mixed emotions due to the noise and inconvenience of losing walkways between buildings.
Sara Mitchel, Fresno State manager of construction services, said in a previous interview with The Collegian, “Given that the duration of the project exceeds the length of the summer break, facilities management made every effort to get the noisiest part of the work done over the summer break in an effort to minimize the disruption to the campus during the semester.”
The quad’s renovation costs was included in the $84 million of investments for campus facilities and utility infrastructure, said a press release from Fresno State President Dr. Joseph Castro.
So, what is there to look forward to about the renovated quad?
“The new quad improvements offer much-improved walkways for our campus community [with] the addition of drip irrigation which allows for water conservation,” Mitchel said.
She said more than 20 trees have been added, not only for shade, but to create a more vibrant and inviting environment.
Mike Mosinski, grounds manager in plant operations, said the quad went from a walkway that connected buildings to a “park-like setting that will invite people to step out of the buildings and hang out for a while.”
According to Mosinski, the renovation was a two-year collaborative process.
Input from students, faculty, staff and administrators was considered when designing the quad, along with the type of environment they would like when visiting the quad.
“Many faculty, staff and students alike expressed they would use the space if there was seating and shade, and if the area was more inviting,” Mosinski said.
He said various materials were used to complete the project, such as “concrete, decomposed granite, lawns and shredded bark to give an organic feel to the space and complement the nice grove of existing oak and cork oak trees.”
Mitchel said that although the construction team is putting the finishing touches on the quad, there are no safety concerns.
Alexis Vargas, a Fresno State junior has classes that are predominantly in the Social Science Building and is happy he does not need to walk around the buildings anymore.
He said he can now come a few minutes late to campus because he doesn’t have to walk around multiple buildings.
Vargas has one aspect of the quad he likes in particular. “They even got the little charger things,” Vargas said, referring to the charging outlets installed in the concrete benches.
“I like it, it’s pretty cool, and it makes [Fresno State] look nicer,” Vargas said. “This is probably where I’m going to come to study.”
Luis Palma, who is also a junior history major, said, “I’m excited about it too. It looks like it has potential for a lot of people to be here, like a social environment.”
Finishing touches on the quad will include benches and tables being installed in January.