As part of the ongoing modernization of the campus, demolition of the old Student Services Center at El Camino College has begun with construction projects estimated to continue until 2025, officials said.

The destruction of the old Student Services Center and Student Activities Center is scheduled to be a six-month long process that will pave way for the construction of a new Behavioral and Social Science Building by summer 2022.

Along with a new Arts Complex, ECC officials are also working on a new Bookstore Café, Music Building and the new Administration Building within the next five years.

During a Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18, Director of the Facilities Planning and Services Department Jorge Gutierrez presented an update on the costs and expected dates for the next several construction projects including the opening of the new Administration Building this spring.

But with the demolition of old buildings bringing light to new ones, several walkways have been closed off, making pedestrians go all the way around campus to get to class.

More recently, the walkway between the old Student Services Building and the North Gym was closed off Monday, March 2, which cuts the campus in half until this summer.

Journalism major Maverick Marcellana said he feels cutting off parts of campus is a bit much for students who are trying to get to and from class while navigating through foot traffic.

However, Gutierrez told The Union this winter that his priority when designing the new pathways was safety.

Gutierrez said he, alongside Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Ann O’Brien, have met with stakeholders in the past and different student body committees to create the most “feasible path of travel.”

“We want to make sure the perimeter around the construction is safe for all students,” Gutierrez said. “So we created a perimeter that is safe.”

Since 2008, the ECC community has witnessed the grand opening of over a dozen new structures including buildings, stadiums and parking lots, changing the landscape of what once used to be an institution of barrack-style structures from an old army base.

With the ongoing demolition over the next several months, community members can expect the discarding of hazardous materials with oversight by an environmental consultant, Director of Public Information and Government Relations Marc Stevens told The Union.

In an effort to minimize noise issues, front-loading machinery will be used to remove the buildings in manageable-sized pieces, Stevens said.

Gutierrez said ECC’s Office of Marketing and Communications will continue to work on updating students and faculty about any changes surrounding construction.