Staff Report
Allan Hancock College officials celebrated significant progress on the construction of the college’s Fine Arts Complex by signing the final steel beam of the building’s superstructure during a ceremony on April 15.
Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D., and members of the college’s Board of Trustees and fine arts department joined representatives from project contractor AMG and Associates; crane operator Bragg Crane and Rigging; project architect DLR Group; Golden State Steel; and the Roebbelen construction management firm in signing their names on the 66-foot, 2,178-pound beam. The ceremony took place at the Fine Arts Complex construction site at Hancock’s Santa Maria campus.
“This is an exciting day as we mark a very important milestone for this project,” said Walthers. “We are very thankful to all of our partners and project stakeholders who have been working very hard to make this facility a reality.”
Once completed, the two-story, 88,000-square-foot facility will include a 400-seat concert and recital venue and house the college’s dance, drama, film, graphics, music, photography, multimedia arts and communications programs. The college officially broke ground on facility construction in September 2020.
“To be at this stage just five months into the project is a real achievement,” said AMG Project Manager Craig Shallanberger.
Funding for the Fine Arts Complex was provided by the voter-approved Bond Measure I, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, and generous support from the estate of former Hancock faculty member Patricia Boyd. Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2022.
To learn more about Hancock’s Fine Arts Complex, visit bit.ly/AHCFineArts.
