Announcements

Todd Tsudama

It has come to my attention that I have not done a good job of communicating what Phase I or the Annex Renovation is. The Phase I of the campus renovation includes the following:

1. Seismic and safety updates-This is the first and foremost reason we are renovating the annex first. With the concrete wall construction, if there were a major earthquake AND if there was an event or service happening in the Annex, there’s a potential of injury. This does NOT mean the Annex is not safe. It means the annex was built to a prior seismic standard and these standards or codes are always changing to keep up with the latest developments. The upgrade will include replacing the roof and tying the glue-lams (large beams that run the width of the gym) into the wall. We will not need to add any additional support I beams or large steel structures that were discussed in prior designs.
2. Bring the Annex up to ADA (American Disability Act) requirements-In a nutshell, we need to make the entire bldg. accessible to everyone and anyone regardless of their capability. This means we will be totally re-doing the lobby to add an elevator, wider stairs and create an appealing entrance to the annex. We are also creating brand new ADA compliant Men’s and Women’s bathrooms (yea!!!!) and increasing the capacity. At the Hanamatsuri service, I counted over 20 people in walkers or wheelchairs. Once we’re done with the bathrooms, it will be much easier for them to use. We are also talking about installing water saving toilets too.
3. Renovating the Kitchen-We need to invest in this area to keep our BWA happy  A team of BWA representatives met with a Kitchen design consultant and came up with some great ideas to make the kitchen more useful. In fact, a walk in refrigerator and pantry are currently in the design. Based on a preliminary code review, the outdoor stove will need to be moved but the sinks and rice cooking gas lines can stay.
4. Update Infrastructure-The Annex is over 50 yrs old and the services (plumbing, electrical, gas, sewers…) are old and worn out. We will totally replace and upgrade these services to match our needs like Obon, Nikkei Matsuri and CYS pancake breakfast. This means no more blown circuits at Obon, plenty of gas supply for the tempura booth and good lighting in the gym.

One thing I’d like to be crystal clear on, is this is an entirely new design and plan from those in the past. We have learned from those designs, interviews and teams to develop the Phase I Annex renovation plans. The Annex walls and over all layout will stay the same but will be safer, more functional and nicer looking after we’re done.

Now that we’re all on the same page, here’s the latest update:

1. Vance Brown Construction has been approved and selected by the Board to be our General Contractor.
2. During construction, it will be the respective organizations responsibility to find an alternate location for their events. For smaller events, they could be relocated to 6^th St or the Education Bldg. For larger events, I’ve already reached a deal with Mt View BC to use their facilities if available. Morgan Hill is also an option too.

If you have any questions, pls feel free to contact me.

Thanks,

In Gassho,

 

Todd