The construction for the Associated Students Sustainability Center* is scheduled to begin in March.
The new center, which will be located north of the University Student Union’s Plaza del Sol, will feature a seminar room, conference room, restrooms, and interior courtyard, and is scheduled for completion in March 2017. The yard will have equipment for recycling, shipment, sorting, and bundling.
“The yard space is larger and more complex than what exists and it was not anticipated that the entire space would be covered – hence the yard space,” said Joy Hillman, administrative analyst and specialist for Facilities Planning, Design and Construction.
According to A.S. General Manager David Crandall, the center will provide a fun and exciting work environment for staff and students. Crandall said it will also bring more employment opportunities for students on campus.
“We currently have [two full-time] student employees in recycling and [that number] is expected to grow once we open in 2017,” Crandall said.
In 2015, A.S. approved an estimated cost of $4.7 million for the expansion and renovation of the sustainability center.
The recycling program was established in 1991 by A.S. and the university; in 2011–12, more than 331,000 pounds of recyclable material was diverted from CSUN’s waste stream, according to the annual report.
“We have a very committed staff who is very active in what they do,” Crandall said.
The center will have a student workspace and a lounge for students to learn, research and to show their projects.
“There will be a number of hands-on exhibits that show people how the building works,” Crandall said. “In addition, there will be some CSUN student-produced artwork — paintings, drawings, sculptures — either about sustainability or made from reused materials.”
According to the feasibility study, the new one-story building will be about 3,500 square feet and with the yard, the total space will be approximately 9,000 square feet, confirmed by A.S. Coordinator of Marketing and Public Relations Kevin Mojaradi.
“Just to have a place for our students and employees to feel comfortable in an environment that they can work in is something that I look forward to,” A.S. Recycling Coordinator Cynthia Signett said.
*This story was updated March 3, 2016 at 2 p.m. An earlier version of this article did not indicate that the sustainability center is being developed by Associated Students. David Crandall’s last name had been misspelled and he had been misquoted regarding the number of student employees. Several related links were added.
