Press Releases
Ground Broken on New Community Justice Center at Monterey College of Law
Historic Construction to Begin on LEED-Certified Building on the Former Ford Ord
Monterey College of Law Dean Mitchel Winick and State Assembly candidate Bill Monning, the current Director of the law school's Mandell-Gisnet Center for Conflict Management, were among those who participated in the ground-breaking ceremony Thursday. The new facility will be home to a new courtroom and a community mediation center that will contain more than 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
"This is another exciting step forward toward achieving the vision of a vibrant educational community here on Fort Ord," said Winick. "I am particularly pleased to acknowledge the attendance of two of my higher education colleagues who share this vision and are adjacent neighbors to the project, Dr. Dianne Harrison, president of Cal State Monterey Bay and Dr. Douglas Garrison, president of Monterey Peninsula College."
Construction will begin within three weeks, under the direction of Ausonio Incorporated, the first construction firm in Monterey County to be certified as a Green Builder through the Monterey Bay Area Green Business program.
In order to achieve LEED Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's construction guidelines, the Community Justice Center will integrate energy efficiency, solar power, water conservation, sustainable construction materials and native plant landscaping. LEED supports building sustainability by focusing on five vital areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Representing the Monterey College of Law Board of Trustees at Thursday's opening were President Richard Watts, Immediate Past-President Bard Mansager, Honorable Tom Wills, Honorable Efrem Iglesia, Stephanie Hulsey, Bill Tebbe, and Stephen Wagner. Representatives of the project team included Andrew Ausonio, Jim Staniec, and Joe Piedimonte, Darryl Hawkins of JHW Architects, Sharon Sarris of Greenfuse, and Debbie Picard of Platinum Development. Congressman Sam Farr was represented at the groundbreaking by chief aide Alec Arago.
Monterey College of Law provides students the opportunity to live and work in the California central coast region while attending an evening law school program. As a California-accredited institution, the law school offers a four-year J.D. program and a two-year Master of Legal Studies program. The new Community Justice Center will provide space to expand the law school's community mediation program, provide free evening legal clinics for the public, and support self-help legal services.
Ausonio Incorporated serves clients ranging from commercial to residential, and was the recipient of the California Association of General Contractors' Constructor Award in 2007 in recognition of their innovation of materials utilized for construction of Chartwell School.
For more information about Monterey College of Law, please call (831)-582-4000 or visit www.montereylaw.edu.
For more information on Ausonio Incorporated and green building, please call 831-633-3371 or visit www.ausonio.com.
Ausonio Incorporated has been the trusted leader in design and construction on California's Central Coast since 1959. More than just a general construction firm, this family-owned and operated company takes pride in its commitment to integrity, providing clients with a skilled team of professionals while delivering a product of the highest quality. With a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) accredited professional on staff, Ausonio Incorporated is setting the standard for green building in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties-designing and building healthier buildings for our community. Ausonio Incorporated received the 2007 Associated General Contractors of California Constructor Award in the Innovative Use of Materials category for the construction of Chartwell School in Seaside, California.