The LCAD Student Center
Why do you want to build a Student Center?
LCAD does not currently have a central location for students to gather, unlike most colleges. This is a very important project designed to keep our students on campus, foster their mental and physical health, and thereby enhance their happiness and subsequent student success.
What are some features of the proposed Student Center?
Our strategic planning process has identified several key needs that the Student Center is designed to meet. The Student Center will consolidate a host of student services such as student life, counseling, disability and career services in one location. The Student Center will advance LCAD’s goals to consolidate all course requirements at our two campuses to minimize the number of trips and traffic along Laguna Canyon Road.
Planned features include a café, a gallery, outdoor spaces, studios and classrooms. We plan to offer a large multi-purpose room that can serve as a community meeting space when not in use by students. In addition, the Student Center may serve as a temporary shelter-in-place for the Laguna Canyon community in the event of a fire or other natural disaster.
Where will the Student Center be located?
The proposed Student Center will be located at our Big Bend Campus off Laguna Canyon Road. We plan to replace an unused, dilapidated building on site with a beautiful Student Center building with outdoor seating and landscaping.
How much will it cost to build?
The estimated cost is $15 million.
Do you plan to keep building in the Canyon?
No. The Student Center is the only new facility that we are planning to build, and it will take the place of an existing structure at our Big Bend campus. We have no plans to add any other new buildings in Laguna Beach.
When can I see the proposed plans and renderings?
You can find public documents regarding our plans on the City of Laguna Beach website.You can find public documents regarding our plans on the City of Laguna Beach website. Click HEREto View Plans.
When will the City’s public hearing process start?
The City of Laguna Beach staff completed their conceptual review of the Student Center and advanced the project for a Planning Commission hearing. The hearing took place October 21, 2020.
Will the project require an EIR?
The City of Laguna Beach does not require an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for this project.
When will you start construction of the Student Center? When will it open?
The construction start date will depend upon the City review and approval process. Our goal is to celebrate the opening of the new Student Center in 2023.
How can I get updates about the Student Center?
We are happy to share noteworthy project updates as they occur. For specific questions, please contact Vice President of College Advancement, Dominic Mumolo at dmumolo@lcad.edu
At Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD), providing a positive, supportive, inclusive, and safe educational environment for our students is one of our highest priorities. As a non-profit college of art and design, LCAD remains committed to the artistic, intellectual, and professional preparation of our students since 1961. However, despite our efforts, our students still face a number of notable obstacles in achieving success. Many face challenges to their mental and physical well-being that include dangerously high levels of stress, lack of access to healthy and affordable food options, and a lack of tools and resources to address these issues effectively. They also deal with the potential dangers of traversing Laguna Canyon Road both as motorists and as pedestrians. LCAD recognizes this and is working hard to address these issues and to find solutions that benefit our students’ welfare and educational experiences, as well as those that ultimately benefit the community.
LCAD’s students and the community of Laguna Beach need a place that provides solutions to these mounting problems. That place is a student center.