California State University, East Bay held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Collaborative Opportunities in Research and Engagement building, or CORE building, on April 22 at the Recreation & Wellness Center plaza.
The building got its name after board members used ‘CORE’ as a placeholder name, and it eventually stuck. This could also be due to the location of the new building, which will be around the center of the campus.
The CORE building will be located where the portable offices currently lie, near the RAW Center and where the Agora Stage is currently located. The CORE building entrance will be where the Agora Stage currently lies, potentially moving the location of the stage.
CSUEB is not the only CSU that plans to construct a new building, according to ASI President, Myles Watkins. Several CSU campuses will be receiving new buildings equivalent to our new CORE building, replacing some buildings that are not up to building safety code standards. At CSUEB, the CORE building will replace the library on campus due to the building not being up to date with building codes.
“The new building will look and feel like Google,” Watkins commented. The three-floor, 25,000 square foot building will cost around $100 million to build and will include glass walls.
Not only will the new CORE building serve as the new library, but it will include other new features as well. A new innovation and technology center will be included, along with 500 more study spaces and 30 different individual study rooms.
The library is in talks about what the library will become when the new CORE building is up and running. Watkins suggests that the library should be turned into a student resource center, which is something CSUEB lacks.
The new structure is aiming to be ready by Fall 2021. Students have around two years to enjoy our current library.