Hudson County Community College to Celebrate the ‘Topping Out’ of New Library & Academic Building
March 18, 2013
JERSEY CITY, N.J. / March 18, 2013 - Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will mark an important milestone in the construction of its new Library & Academic Building with a “Topping Out” celebration on Tuesday morning, April 2, 2013 at 10 a.m. The event will begin with remarks in the lobby of the College’s Administration Building at 70 Sip Avenue on the Journal Square Campus in Jersey City and will proceed across the street to the site of the new building where guests will have the opportunity to sign the topmost beam before it is hoisted into position.
Several area elected officials are expected to be in attendance, including Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise, members of the County Chosen Board of Freeholders, New Jersey State Senator Sandra B. Cunningham, and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy. They will be welcomed by HCCC Board of Trustees Chair William J. Netchert, Esq. and other members of the College’s Board of Trustees, HCCC President Dr. Glen Gabert, and members of the College’s administration, faculty and staff.
Dr. Gabert stated that groundbreaking for the 117,000 square-foot, six-story structure was held in November 2011, and construction has been in progress since. The third of the College’s from-the-ground-up construction endeavors, the Library & Academic Building will house a 33,000 square-foot Library on the first two floors. The Library space has been designed to accommodate traditional, printed collections as well as e-books and digital media, computer stations, wireless Internet service, power stations for laptops, and casual seating and a coffee bar for students, faculty and staff.
Floors three through five will include approximately 30 classrooms in traditional, computer-lab and tiered lecture hall designs. The top floor, which is stepped back from the street, will include a rooftop terrace with views of New York Harbor and the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, as well as a large lobby/exhibition area (for progressive art installations, lectures and student gatherings). The top floor design also calls for three flexible-size classrooms with moveable partitions that will provide the College with a large venue for special events, programs and lectures.
In keeping with the College’s commitment to being a good neighbor, the design of the new Library & Academic Building includes a predominantly brick exterior with strong traditional reference to the early 20th century architecture found in Journal Square such as large two-story arches, granite accents and complimentary metal panels that add a contemporary touch. Additionally, it is being built for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. NK Architects is responsible for the building’s design and construction is under the management of MAST Construction Services, Inc.
HCCC President Dr. Glen Gabert said the Library & Academic Building is essential to the College’s comprehensive physical expansion plan. “This new building will play a key role in the studies and lives of our students, faculty, staff and community,” Dr. Gabert stated. “We have been determined to provide the people of Hudson County with state-of-the-art, beautiful places to study and learn, and this building will very much fulfill those requirements.”
“Community is at the heart of everything that the College does,” said HCCC Board of Trustees Chair William J. Netchert, Esq. “Making a project of this magnitude a reality requires the support and cooperation of our elected officials, the College’s team of Trustees, administrators, faculty and staff and most especially, our neighbors in the community. We are grateful to everyone who has played a role in this project,” he stated.
Dr. Gabert said that the College expects construction of the Library & Academic Building to be completed in late Spring 2014, with a Grand Opening planned for late Summer of that year.