College of DuPage Student Services Center (SSC) Renovation 

When the College of DuPage needed to modernize their 90,000-square-foot Student Services Center, they faced a complex challenge: how to completely renovate their campus hub without disrupting the thousands of students and faculty members who relied on its services daily. Having completed the original Student Services Center in 2011, Mortenson was brought in for this major renovation. Our innovative approach turned this seemingly impossible task into a showcase of operational excellence and customer-focused solutions.

The Student Services Center serves as the heart of campus life, housing everything from Enrollment Services to Veterans Services to Student Hubs and Lounges. Closing the facility wasn’t an option—students needed continuous access to financial aid, registration, counseling services, and other critical support throughout the 17-month renovation.

Adding complexity, the project encountered evolving design requirements and coordination challenges. This included the need to resolve structural integration issues when modifying the stairwell from a two-story to a three-story configuration and altering room layouts due to existing MEP systems that served the entirety of the building.

Phased Innovation

To keep the building fully operational throughout the entire renovation, Mortenson developed a sophisticated phased construction strategy:

• Integrated Team: Early integration with the design team and the college set the project up for success by fostering collaboration, building rapport, and ensuring smooth communication. This proactive approach allowed for effective value engineering and timely resolution of issues, aligning the project with its goals and budget.
• Seamless Phasing:The renovation was divided into two strategic phases, allowing departments to relocate temporarily while their spaces were transformed. With two-week buffers between phases, the college was able to coordinate moves and maintain services. Flow scheduling allowed real-time adjustments and kept subcontractors on track despite design challenges.
• Proactive Problem-Solving:When structural conflicts arose, our team didn't just identify problems—we delivered multiple solutions. For the stairwell challenge, we proposed installing new steel beams below grade, avoiding costly utility relocations and maintaining the design integrity while preventing delays.

Exceptional Value Delivered

Project Highlights

• Achieved zero recordable injuries over the entire duration, totaling 431 consecutive days injury-free.
• Completed under budget, with substantial savings returned to the College of DuPage.
• Each project phase was turned over ahead of schedule.
• Highly successful diverse business participation achieved through a multi-faceted outreach plan and right-sized bid packages, allowing more qualified trade partners to participate.
• Maintained continuous building operations in adjacent spaces throughout construction.
• Collaborated with the College and Architect of Record (SmithGroup and MoDE Architects) to use the project as a learning opportunity, providing tours for students studying Construction Management and Architecture to expose them to potential careers in the field.

This renovation represents the fifth successful project Mortenson has delivered for College of DuPage over 15 years. The transformed facility now provides students with a unified "one-stop" Student Services Center, modernized collaboration spaces, and an enhanced campus experience that positions the college for future growth.

Through innovative planning, proactive problem-solving, and unwavering commitment to operational continuity, Mortenson transformed a complex renovation challenge into a model of construction excellence.