Two women in front of a signed wall at a construction site

San Bernardino Valley College celebrated the topping off of its Student Services Building March 16, five months after the groundbreaking. 

“Our community will have access to people just like them, with the heart and talent to lead with love and to help each and every student with professionalism, compassion, and care every step of their educational journey,” said SBVC President Gilbert J. Contreras. 

Event attendees could sign the wall before it was closed up, and each person received a “boarding pass” for their group tour of the construction site. 

The $117 million, 102,691-square-foot building is replacing the 1970 Liberal Arts building and will be a one-stop shop for student resources. It will house classrooms; tutoring, assembly, and collaboration spaces; offices; a conference room; counseling and matriculation resources; and health and wellness services. Construction is slated to be finished in April 2027. 

San Bernardino Community College District Chancellor Diana Z. Rodriguez told attendees she sees herself in the first-generation students on campus. 

“I see their hope, I see the pressures that they have, I see how hard they’re working to create a better life for themselves — not just for their families, for their entire community,” she said. 

When Rodriguez looks at the building, “I think about the students who are going to walk through these doors looking for help, looking for direction, maybe just having a few questions, or maybe just somebody who tells them they belong here — that they can do this," she said. “And that’s exactly what they’re going to find in this building.” 

Builders are seeking LEED Platinum certification, the highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The facility has sustainability features like concrete ceilings, walls, and floors; vertical windows; easy access to public transportation; trees; and native landscaping.