Rio Grande set to undergo improvements
The Rio Grande Campus is undergoing exciting changes that mark a major investment toward making the campus a more rewarding experience for students and faculty and continuing that location’s historical contribution to education in Austin.
Upcoming improvements include:
• Constructing a theater scene shop in the area that includes Rooms 219 and 221.
• Building a 450-space parking garage at the Skill Center site.
• Adding space for classrooms and faculty offices in the old gymnasium.
The Rio Grande Campus has a long history in the area’s education spectrum. Austin Independent School District (AISD) first opened the site as a junior high school in 1916, then converted it to Austin High School in 1925. The campus experienced a variety of renovations and additions during its 50 years as a high school before the school relocated to Cesar Chavez Boulevard in 1975. Meantime, ACC had opened its doors and began offering classes in 1973 at the old Anderson High School. The college expanded to the vacated Austin High site and named it the Rio Grande Campus.
Today, more than 7,000 students attend Rio Grande each semester, making it ACC’s second largest campus. Rio Grande offers the full slate of core curriculum general education courses and is home to the computer studies, human services, and some business workforce programs. The Arts and Humanities Division also is headquartered there to take advantage of the campus’ two theaters, a dance studio, and a variety of multimedia art studios.
“Rio Grande is a historic campus,” says Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow, ACC president/CEO. “These updates will better meet the needs of ACC students, giving them access to an even stronger community college education in the heart of Austin.”
Drama’s scene shop gets bigger, better … and closer: The Drama Department is a giant leap closer to getting its new scene shop. The scene shop renovation is the first project RGC, set to begin following remediation of the area and environmental testing of the air. Rooms 221 and the neighboring 219 will become one to accommodate the program’s needs. The new shop is behind the auditorium, providing direct access to the stage – a big improvement over the current arrangement in the Skill Center at 12th Street and Shoal Creek Boulevard.
Schematic of parking garage.
Six levels of parking … but don’t forget the bus: The college is about to take a big step toward easing the parking predicament with a brand-new, six-level garage in time for fall 2009. The Board of Trustees approved a $15 million budget to build the garage, which will be located at the Skill Center site (12th Street and Shoal Creek Boulevard). Construction is scheduled to begin this summer. Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects is designing the garage to embrace the original architecture of the school and the feel of the community.
Parking at the Skill Center and the Gymnasium will be disrupted during construction, but transit service is readily available on many Capital Metro routes, including the 1M North Lamar (to Northridge Campus), 3 Burnet/Manchaca (to South Austin Campus), 5/26 Woodrow/Riverside (to Riverside Campus), plus the Gold and Red Dillos.
No sweat … turning the gym into classrooms and offices: At the same time garage construction is under way, plans are to breathe new life into Rio Grande’s former gymnasium. The building is currently unoccupied. The board approved a $12 million budget to fund renovation of the building that will add classrooms and faculty offices. The exterior will remain virtually unchanged; however, the structure will get a remodeled basement and new second level.
BLGY Inc. is designing the gymnasium project. Asbestos abatement and lead remediation have been completed, and construction begins this summer. Completion is scheduled for fall 2009.
Follow progress of the garage and gymnasium projects.
4 Responses to “Rio Grande set to undergo improvements”
Posted by: David Cuddeback - 04/18/2008
The old Austin High became the Rio Grande campus well before 1982. I started at RGC in 1978 and it had already been an ACC campus for several years.
Posted by: Henry Cantu - 04/21/2008
Before the Skill Center site at Rio Grande goes under construction we should be allowed to take a piece of history. ACC should invite all students who took a class there to participate. In 1977-1978 I attended the block-time automotive technology class which was taught there along with the welding class.
Posted by: mreyes - 04/22/2008
Austin ISD and ACC signed a 20-year lease in February 1982 for the Rio Grande Campus, but the college did indeed occupy the building earlier - perhaps when it was vacated in 1975?
Posted by: John Cise - 05/12/2008
I first made a issue of the lack of hot water at RGC in 1977. So, the campus must be at least that old. Also, I have kept track of the generations of pigions at RGC and by that count 1975-1977 was when we occupied RGC. Also, in the above news it was mentioned that we are the second largest campus in student enrollment. That might be true, but we have the highest density of students per square foot. When it comes to space utilization the faculty and staff at RGC yearly win a cash bonus for their efficiency. Also, the bathroom odors are the best of all ACC campuses.
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