Pitzer College began renovations of the Gold Student Center in July, a project that will take approximately 10-12 months to complete.
Brian Carlisle, Pitzer’s newly appointed Vice President for Student Affairs, said that the changes to the building reflect a mixed-use approach to design.
Carlisle said that a second-floor mezzanine is being added to “increase the fitness and wellness capacity” of the building. New fitness equipment, including Pilates stations, are being installed, and the filtration and pump systems for the Gold Center pool are being replaced. In addition, the kitchen and dining space for the Shakedown Cafe are being expanded.
While construction continues, Pitzer students have access to the pool at Pomona College and to fitness equipment at Pomona and Harvey Mudd College, Carlisle said. Offices that were located in the Gold Center have been temporarily relocated to Holden Hall, as have meeting areas for students and the spaces that the Green Bike Program uses.
Over the summer, renovations were also made to the interior rooms of Mead Hall, and the Grove House saw several health and safety upgrades.
Additional renovations are expected in the future, according to Carlisle.
“We hope to disassemble Holden Hall completely next summer, and our long-term campus housing master plan is to build our third and final residence hall on the side of Holden,” Carlisle said.
“We want to have quality living quarters for our students,” he added. “We need facilities that are more energy-efficient, and buildings that are more multipurpose in use.”