McCarthy Building Cos. has completed construction on a 402,503-sq-ft, three-level parking structure and adjacent 3,200-sq-ft Public Safety Office at Grossmont College in El Cajon.
San Diego-based Gafcon served as construction manager and Los Angeles-based International Parking Design was the architect for the $25-million project.
The parking structure, which accommodates 1,431 vehicles, features sections of teal-colored metal trellises, stucco, and prominent sections of brick veneer on the external façade. Two pedestrian bridges connect Grossmont College’s main campus to the parking structure.
The project team had to overcome unexpected challenges when building the project. For example, two corners of the building’s foundation had to be re-engineered to avoid a previously undetected underground gas line.
Additionally, another project challenge was dealing with unstable ground that existed along the east side of the structure, which abuts a natural canyon area. Close to 6,000 cu yds of soil had be excavated and replaced with over 2,000 cu yds of slurry to ensure uniformity of the foundation footprint.
