Traditional giant scissors in hand, Board of Trustees Vice President Martha Camacho-Rodriguez stood beside President and Superintendent Dr. Jose Fierro, board members and deans as they celebrated completion of the Health and Wellness complex on Oct. 2.

The new buildings were phase 2 of the East-campus construction using Measure G dollars. The Student Health Services complex included treatment rooms, labs and nursing station. The team rooms building contains facilities that will serve all Falcon athletics with meeting rooms, locker rooms and a walking track.

“In terms of our student athletes, the completions of this phase will offer a space where they can have a home,” said Rory Navidad, dean of kinesiology.

The ribbon cutting was live streamed via Zoom and took place at the Wellness Courtyard, at the entryway of the Kinesiology Building. After a brief opening from Fierro, he and several members of the Board of Trustees, along with Navidad, met behind the strip of blue ribbon for photos and cutting ceremony.

A virtual tour showed the inside of the facilities, revealing medical offices, locker rooms and showers. According to faculty, the facility is also located to conveniently accommodate emergency vehicles. It was also the first development on campus that was ‘Green certified,’ due to an initiative by the board of trustees.

“The Board established a campus-wide sustainability policy to focus on creating practices that promote conservation and energy efficiency,” said Martha Camacho-Rodriguez.

Cerritos College had joined higher learning institutions across the state in cancelling college sports for the Fall and most of the Spring seasons. As administrators await further direction from state officials, it is unclear when the facilities will be fully open for students and student athletes.

Phase 1 of construction finished in March of 2019, which included the conference center, dance, fitness, and Physical Education buildings, originally breaking ground on April 5th of 2017. Through Fall 2019 and Spring of this year, student athletes were detoured around the phase 2 construction site to use the locker rooms and weight/training rooms in the PE building.

Without the temporary fencing, the campus is wide open and accessible to all that use or maintain the fields.

“This new state-of-the art facility will provide students with access to much-needed health support services, and new modern facilities to help our student-athletes prepare for game day,” Fierro said.