Construction continues near the Fine Arts Building at the College of Marin's Kentfield campus. Students were greeted with the sound of power tools as classes began on Monday. (IJ photo/Frankie Frost )
Lisa Rodriguez admits she got a little bit lost on Monday, the first day of classes at College of Marin. But after working her way around the detours set up to accommodate the school's ongoing $249.5 million modernization project, Rodriguez found her way to class without a problem.

"I'll know which way to go next time," said Rodriguez, a Fairfax resident, striding across the parking lot near the school's fine arts building while backhoes and bulldozers rumbled a few feet away.

The college began work on a new fine arts building - the first new structure on the Kentfield campus since 1973 - in June. The work, which is expected to continue through spring 2011, has caused the school to close two parking lots and post detour signs guiding

Students walk around campus on Monday as classes began at the College of Marin. (IJ photo/Frankie Frost)
students around the construction site.

"We've published a map showing all the pedestrian routes and detours around the site, and we had a workshop for faculty and staff last week to answer questions about detours, routes, noise and what to expect," said V-Anne Chernock, the college's director of modernization. "The beginning of school is always a tricky time for new students and new faculty, so we have people out on campus all day to help direct people."

In addition to work on the fine arts building, the college is building a bridge across Corte Madera Creek that will connect one of the school's parking lots to a future math and science complex.

"We're going to be using the parking lot for staging for the science project, and using

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the bridge to cart materials so that we don't disrupt the neighbors on Laurel Drive," said Chernock, who hosted a meeting for project neighbors three weeks ago.

The college has also relocated the faculty and staff offices from two of its buildings - Dixon Hall and the Dance/Landscape Building - which will be demolished as part of the construction work. And the school is working with a construction company to relocate six to eight chestnut trees in a grove within the construction site.

"Starting

Students seek a little peace and quite in a Redwood grove near the Fine Arts Building on the Kentfield campus of the College of Marin. (IJ photo/Frankie Frost)
on Wednesday, the company has agreed to take the trees from the district," Chernock said. "There are a few trees they won't be able to take - they're too huge to be transported - but moving the medium-sized trees is something we've been planning for a long time."

College officials expect to break ground on the school's next major project, the $44.2 million science/math/central plant complex, on Sept. 15, with work on that project continuing through spring 2011. That construction could be delayed, however, Chernock said, because the school is still awaiting approval from the Division of the State Architect's office.

The school's $249.5 million overhaul, paid for with funds from the Measure C bond voters approved in 2004, also includes construction of two new buildings at its Indian Valley campus in Novato: the $16.5 million Main Building and the $9.3 million TransTech complex, begun last year. The school closed the main parking lot and bridge at its Novato campus on Monday and relocated its bus stop.

"There has been re-routing of auto and pedestrian traffic," Chernock said. "We've sent out maps and notices."

The college has not yet announced a price tag for its proposed Gateway Complex, intended as a replacement for Olney Hall, the Harlan Center and the school's administration building and scheduled for construction in 2011. College officials plan to announce the four finalists to serve as architect for the project at next week's meeting of the college board.

Students called the construction work an annoying, if necessary, distraction.

"It's going to be nice when it's finished," said Fairfax resident Lily Clay, walking past the fine arts building construction. "But for now, it's a pain."

"It's noisy," agreed San Rafael resident Kaila McFarland, preparing for her first drawing and composition class at the fine arts building.

While McFarland found the changes frustrating - and didn't relish the prospect of taking physical education classes in a portable classroom - she said the overall convenience of the college made up for it.

"It's close to where I live," McFarland said. "And I wasn't ready to jump right into my major this year; I wanted to spend some time within a college environment first."

Read more Ross, Kentfield & Greenbrae stories at the IJ's Ross, Kentfield & Greenbrae section.

Contact Rob Rogers via e-mail at rrogers@marinij.com