Santa Rosa Junior College moves ahead on facilities upgrade

Santa Rosa Junior College is moving ahead with the largest facilities upgrade project in its 100-year history.

The board of trustees announced Tuesday they've selected an architectural team to handle planning for the multi-campus project, which will be paid for through a $410 million bond measure voters approved in 2014.

Santa Rosa-based Quattrocchi Kwok Architects will partner with Gensler, an international architecture, design and planning firm based in San Francisco, to develop a district-wide master plan that will cover the Santa Rosa and Petaluma campuses as well as the Southwest Center, Shone Farm and the Public Safety Training Center in Windsor.

The firms currently are assessing building conditions and needs, as well as looking at energy efficiency, water and wastewater systems and comfort on campus, college officials said. The consultants later will conduct an analysis on the demographics and education trends in the county to determine future academic needs, officials said. Through the bond, the largest in Sonoma County's history, the college will be able to renovate aging facilities, build new structures and upgrade technology.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate information provided by Santa Rosa Junior College about planned expenditures of bond revenue. The funds cannot be spent to hire additional faculty.