Los Angeles Pierce College - Bond Construction

Bond Construction

Since the approval of Los Angeles County Propositions A and AA, Pierce College has been undergoing large-scale renovation.

By 2010 two new “green” complexes now under construction—a 109,000 sq ft (10,100 m2). Center for the Sciences and a 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2). Student Services Building—will add increased capacity and classrooms and laboratories with enhanced technologies. Other key improvements are increased parking, new infrastructure and roadways, and renovations to existing facilities.

The 2008 passage of Measure J for Jobs will bring further enhancements to the College, with a new Library/Learning Center/Instructional Media Center, and classroom facilities that offer programs focusing on emerging green technologies and new media in the planning stages.

The 2-acre (0.81 ha) S. Mark Taper Foundation Life Science Botanic Garden, completed in 2007, is a “living classroom” in the middle of campus. It features one of the finest collections of drought-resistant plants in the region.

Pierce College prides itself as an environmentally-forward institution, with a 191-kilowatt solar generation system that has 1,274 photovoltaic panels and a 360-kilowatt, natural gas co-generation system. This project is the largest of its kind to be undertaken by a U.S. community college, yielding around 4.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year and reducing Carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,500 tons over its operating lifetime. The college also has a water retention pond beneath its soccer field, collecting run-off from the adjacent parking lot. The Los Angeles River is nearby to the north. Under propositions A and AA, a new water reclamation facility is also being planned, and the new facilities will meet rigorous Silver-level guidelines set by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The campus is home to "Old Trapper's Lodge," California Historical Landmark No. 939, an outsider art environment that pays homage to the pioneer upbringing of its creator, John Ehn. It represents the life work of John Ehn (1897–1981), a self-taught artist who wished to pass on a sense of the Old West, derived from personal experiences, myths, and tall tales. From 1951 to 1981, using his family as models, and incorporating memorabilia, the 'Old Trapper' followed his dreams and visions to create the Lodge and its 'Boot Hill.' The artwork was moved from the original site in Sun Valley, CA, and relocated to the college.

Pierce College is one of the nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District, and is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a nationally recognized accrediting agency. It is located at 6201 Winnetka Ave. near Victory Boulevard. The campus is accessible from the LACMTA Orange Line station of the same name.

In April 2010, after securing a $100,000 grant, Pierce College launched a 24-hour student-run online radio station, KPCR, airing a mix of music, sports, drama, and locally-produced news and features. The station has two faculty advisers and a staff of 23.