The Big One is about to hit sometime, right?
California has been overdue for a big earthquake, and it is important for us to be prepared for when it does inevitably happen.
This is why Cal State Long Beach has been planning to renovate the Liberal Arts buildings.
LA buildings 2, 3 and 4 need to undergo seismic retrofitting in order to be taken off the Priority 1 list released by the Cal State University Seismic Review Board.
The original plans were set to begin renovations last September. However, additions to the plans, including roof repairs, window replacements, air conditioning and a full electrical overhaul, have pushed the project’s start date to this September instead.
The buildings have been vacated since summer, but students still walk around the buildings to get to class.
We understand that the LA buildings are in much need of a complete overhaul. The buildings are old and, frankly, ugly and need to be improved.
There are parts in the buildings that barely supply enough electricity for the current classroom technology.
With these inconveniences aside, the buildings are, more importantly, very unsafe.
Yet the original plans, and the original funding, were set aside for seismic retrofitting.
So, why not get started on fixing the problems that are in dire need of being fixed, and add on the upgrades and improvements once they get approved and funding is secured?
We like the additions being made to the LA buildings and feel they are necessary; however, the plans to fix the buildings keep getting pushed back because of the additions. It’s time to get started so classes can resume in the buildings.
Also, the longer we leave these buildings in their current condition, the closer the day comes when an earthquake may hit. It is almost as if CSULB is playing a game of chicken with mother nature.
We understand that CSULB wants to do a massive overhaul of the buildings all at one time. It cuts down the timeframe spent working on the building.
However, when the main reason for the overhaul is a safety issue, it would seem that this should take precedence. We just want to be as prepared as we can be for when the big earthquake strikes.