The College of Lake County is a comprehensive community college offering a wide range of academic programs and serving a district northeast of Chicago. Mortenson is nearing completion of the College’s Sustainable Master Plan that is transforming the student commons and social hub for the campus. Work is in progress on the renovation of the A & B wings which includes a new roof, technology cabling, classroom modernizations, and common area upgrades. The recently-completed features of the project include a new cafeteria addition, renovations to the main lobby & atrium, re-purposed space for a new bookstore and student activities, the replacement of existing HVAC systems with new Geothermal.
 
Given that this is an active campus, the team has been taking a phased approach to construction, minimizing the disruption to students and staff. Specific work has been carefully scheduled around pre-planned academic calendar shutdowns. Sophisticated wayfinding signage and temporary student corridors were also developed to allow the steady flow of faculty and students.
 
Prior to construction, Mortenson laser scanned the building to gain a precise understanding of the existing utilities which prevented any loss of power to the College due to construction. Many sustainable features, including occupancy sensors and geothermal wells, are helping this project achieve LEED Silver certification.