DMC Board of Regents get “sneak peek,” tour final three capital improvement program projects funded by 2014 bond referendum
Regents see modernizing renovations of Memorial Building, Viking Hall and White Library renovations that modernize and repurpose iconic Heritage Campus facilities
Article by Melinda Eddleman
Renovation and repurposing––they can give new life to old buildings.
On Oct. 8, the Del Mar College (DMC) Board of Regents and administrators, along with architects and contractors, toured three buildings on the Heritage Campus to see the transformation they’ve undergone as part of a $157 million bond referendum for capital improvements on the Heritage and Windward campuses. DMC District taxpayers approved that bond in 2014.
The three buildings––Memorial Building, Viking Hall and the William F. White, Jr. Library––represent the final stages of overall renovation and construction projects funded by the bond.
Del Mar College has the community to thank for the renovation and repurposing of these three buildings, along with the other capital improvement projects supported by the 2014 bond referendum. We have put these funds to good use and demonstrated responsible stewardship with both Board and DMC leadership prioritizing hiring Corpus Christi- and South Texas-based firms for these projects.
Viking Hall, the former Fine Arts Center Music Building, began serving students this past summer and houses programs with the Business Administration and Entrepreneurship Department, including the College’s new Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Management and Leadership degree.
The Memorial Building, which will house the College’s administrative offices, and White Library will open in January 2025.
Capital improvement costs for the three buildings the Board toured today represent a total cost of $62,077,131 or almost 40 percent of the $157 million bond. Total costs for each renovation project include $17,776,059 for the Memorial Building, $12,221,464 for Viking Hall and $28,245,275 for White Library.
Besides the Memorial Building, Viking Hall and White Library, other Heritage Campus projects funded by the 2014 bond include the construction of the General Academic and Music Building Phase II (GAMBII) and the renovation of a former bookstore at the corner of Ayers and Edwards streets that now serves as the DMC Police Station. Windward Campus projects include the expansion of the Emerging Technology Building and the construction of the Workforce Development Center.
Funds from the 2014 bond were also earmarked to develop a masterplan for the College’s Oso Creek Campus on the southside of Corpus Christi. DMC District taxpayers passed a separate bond referendum to fund that campus in 2016.
Community support for Del Mar College’s growth and modernization of its campuses reflects that they share our vision for the future.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
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