Case Studies - UCSD Price Center Expansion

The Price Center is located in the heart of the University of California San Diego campus, and contains a bookstore, retail sales and other student services. Standard Drywall, Inc. is currently completing an expansion of the Price Center that will more than double the size of the existing Price Center, by adding over 246,000 square feet of floor space. The existing Price Center already does more sales volume, in dollars, than a typical Costco Store.

The Price Center expansion is a five story project which, in addition to the bookstore, also features multiple food service and restaurant areas, a computer lab, work rooms, a post office, grocery sales, several retail sales areas, a computer store, a multi-purpose dance room, auditorium/multi-purpose event space, exhibit halls, gallery rooms, several conference and meeting rooms, an upscale night club and many offices for staff and support personnel. A new subterranean loading dock provides access for all of the supplies and goods that will be used and sold through the UCSD Price Center.

Standard Drywall, Inc. was contracted by M. A. Mortenson Construction, the General Contractor, to provide the design/build exterior metal stud framing, exterior gypsum sheathing and exterior lath and plaster system, including the exterior scaffolding required. On the interior portion of the project, SDI’s scope included the spray applied fireproofing, metal wall and ceiling framing, drywall and drywall finishing, GFRG Column Covers, metal lath and a special acoustical plaster required at some of the event spaces.

With a contract amount of approximately $8 million, a physically restrictive jobsite space, complicated scope of work and a sophisticated owner with high expectations and demands of the contractors, SDI faced both design and implementation challenges. Included in this expansion was the remodel and enlargement of the existing bookstore. Due to the tremendous volume of sales revenue generated by the bookstore, it had to remain open and operational during the remodel which created some distinct, but certainly not insurmountable, challenges for SDI and the rest of the project construction team. The bookstore remodel and expansion has been completed and is fully operational as of October, 2007.

The balance of the Price Center expansion project will open in early 2008, and SDI is both pleased and proud to have played a major role in construction and the success of the UCSD Price Center Expansion project.