Above: A crew of students from Construction Management works on preparing slab for concrete at the new Catalyst site.

Blitz Build for Catalyst

Non-profit Chosen for Winter Break Community Service Project

Volunteers within the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management have been preparing for the Catalyst Blitz Build for their Winter Break Traditional Community Service Project. The blitz build will take place Jan. 16–24, with approximately 150 volunteers constructing the first two units of a five-unit transitional housing project for Catalyst’s Center for Victims of Domestic Violence.

Before Thanksgiving, student volunteers from Construction Management prepared the slabs, and students from the Concrete Industry Management program poured the concrete for the two units so that it will be cured and ready for construction by Jan. 16.

During the week before the blitz build, student volunteers will prefabricate the walls at the University Farm, under the guidance of Jim O’Bannon and David Shirah, who are the primary faculty advisors on the project. (Last year, the sheds that were built for Concow fire victims were also prefabricated at the farm, so the leaders and volunteers have experience in this part of the project.)

Students, professors, and community supporters have been working for months on the blitz build (which includes remodeling work completed already at the Torres Shelter). Torres Shelter had limited funds to build out much needed family sleeping rooms, offices and storage, so CSU Chico stepped up to take care the complete project over four three day weekends. The project would normally have been scheduled for the school’s traditional Winter Break project but time was of the essence.

Three local contractors have met Monday mornings at 6:30 am with construction management professor O’Bannon, and then again, later in the day with the student project managers. Gage Crysler, Modern Building, Pat Conroy, Conroy Construction Inc., and Howard Slater, Slater and Son, Inc. have donated hundreds of hours of their time to work side-by-side with students and provided much need resources.

During the blitz, 80 additional volunteers from the Nutrition Center will prepare food for the crews. They will be facilitating the food preparation off-site at the university and be transporting and serving three meals a day at the site.

Dan Dickson, a senior graduating in December, is the student project manager. This is the second year he has been involved, acting as media liaison for the Concow building project last year. “This is real-world experience,” said Dickson. “It is what the field of Construction Management is all about—managing multiple departments, agencies, and construction firms and delivering a high-quality project on time.”

In addition to contributions of time, money, and materials from local builders and businesses, the project is supported by the Chico Redevelopment Agency, which will help Catalyst with $550,000 to support the construction of the homes..