Grossmont College parking structure near completion

McCarthy Building Companies has topped out the exterior concrete frame for the new 402,503-square-foot, three-level parking structure and adjacent 3,200-square-foot Public Safety Office at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif. International Parking Design served as the project architect and structural engineer of record.

Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District is the developer of the $24.5 million construction project. Ken Emmons of Gafcon is serving as project manager and Jim Davies is leading the Gafcon effort on site as the program/senior project manager on behalf of the district.

The parking structure, which will accommodate 1,431 vehicles, features sections of metal trellises, stucco, and brick veneer on the external façade. Two pedestrian bridges will connect Grossmont College’s main campus to the parking structure.

According to McCarthy Project Manager Lee Sudhoff, the project team has faced some obstacles, such as encountering unknown obstructions during the excavation work, which resulted in delays to the start of the foundation work. The team also had to overcome weather delays because the rain impacted several critical deck pours.

"The delays due to the earthwork and weather have posed some challenges, but thanks to some dedicated crews and a little ingenuity on the part of the entire project team, we’re actually topping out ahead of schedule," explained Sudhoff. "The project is on target for completion [at] the end of July 2009."