San Bernardino, Calif. – The Santos Manuel Student Union at Cal State San Bernardino will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, June 4, from 10 a.m.-noon for a three-story, 120,000 square-foot expansion to be constructed immediately north of the current student union.
The $90 million expansion, which was approved by the California State University Board of Trustees, will comprise a multi-purpose ballroom (which is twice the size of the existing Events Center), an eight-lane bowling alley and game room, a pub, food service and retail space, collaboration spaces for student organizations and student support centers, and a bookstore.
The project’s architect is LPA Architects in Irvine and the construction contractor is Hathaway Dinwiddie of Los Angeles.
The expansion will have two primary entrances on the first level: the southern entrance nearest to the existing Santos Manuel Student Union and the north entrance accessed from Coyote Walk, the main campus pedestrian spine.
The southern wing of the first level includes a pub with outdoor seating, game room, eight-lane bowling alley, and gathering space. The northern wing will house food vendors, retail space, dining and lounge space, and the relocated bookstore. Access to the northern wing of the building can be restricted, if needed, during late-night hours when the pub and bowling alley remain open.
The second level is highlighted by a conference center with a ballroom dividable into five rooms, featuring a catering kitchen and other event support spaces. The conference center opens to an outdoor plaza for breakout sessions and pre-function events. The double-height ceiling of the second floor creates a mezzanine that will house the building’s mechanical equipment.
The third floor will provide nearly twice the space for administrative offices for Associated Students Inc. (ASI), student organizations and student support centers. They include: The Office of Student Engagement; student club space; cultural centers such as the Women’s Resources Center, Pan African Center, Asian, Pacific Islander Student Success Center, Queer and Transgender Resource Center, LatinX Center, First People Center, The Undocumented Student Center, and The Adult Reentry Center; and additional social and gathering spaces.
Though the new facility will not be physically connected to the existing student union, the project will also renovate the existing union to visually and functionally link the building in a number of ways:
- A plaza will be created between the south entrance of the expansion building and the north entrance of the existing building;
- The existing building’s north entrance will be converted to a glass storefront; and
- 29,000 square feet will be renovated to include a new wellness and counseling center along with various meeting and support spaces.
About Cal State San Bernardino
California State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. The university offers more than 70 traditional baccalaureate and master’s degree programs, education credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate program in educational leadership. Every one of its academic programs that is eligible has earned national accreditation. CSUSB reflects the dynamic diversity of the region and has the most diverse student population of any university in the Inland Empire. More than 80 percent of those who graduate are the first in their families to do so.
