University of California San Diego students will soon have a new Jewish center for spiritual, social and intellectual connection. On Sunday, Sept. 19, general contractor Pacific Building Group broke ground at 9009 La Jolla Scenic Dr. in La Jolla, California, the campus-adjacent location of the new Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center. Twenty years in the making, the groundbreaking event drew community members and the Honorable Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego. Anticipated to reach completion in fall 2022, the $8.5 million, 6,500-square-foot Hillel Center will provide space for religious programs in three separate one- and two-story buildings around a central courtyard.
“We look forward to building the Hillel Center, a project that will require extensive utility work, coordination with nearby neighbors and an eye for seamlessly blending indoor-outdoor environments,” said Project Manager Ryan Amos of Pacific Building Group. “To bring the outdoors in, we’ll need to execute flawless transitions between the interiors and the exterior courtyard that will connect the buildings. From lumber to landscape and walls to open water, we pride ourselves on our ability to blend mixed environments and can’t wait to see the beautiful Hillel Center come to life.”
The environmentally-friendly project will consist of three buildings that complement the surrounding environment. The first building will include a student lounge, kitchen, bathroom facilities and storage on the first floor and a student center, offices, storage and terraces on the upper floor. Both one level, building two will have offices, a conference room, bathroom facilities and storage, while building three will be a library. A new parking lot and solar carports are a part of the plan, and a small, accessible, park-like area will be open to the La Jolla community.
“We are thrilled to be able to make our dream of the Beverly and Joseph Glickman Hillel Center a reality,” said Todd Kirschen, Hillel of San Diego Board President, in a statement. “This beautiful Hillel Center will help us fulfill our mission of enriching Jewish students’ lives so that they may enrich the world.”
Located on a vacant 0.8-acre parcel bounded by La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla Scenic Way and La Jolla Scenic Drive North, the new Hillel Center will be directly across the street from UC San Diego and the La Jolla Playhouse, near The J. Craig Venter Institute for genomic research, and adjacent to a residential neighborhood. The project is near similar centers for Lutheran and Catholic students. To learn more, visit glickmancenter.org.
Joining Amos on the project are Pacific Building Group Superintendent Keith Moss, Project Engineer Deena Isa and Project Coordinator Michelle Gaitan. The architects are M.W. Steele Group with Michael Paluso and Clayton Madrid, and the construction manager is Dave Bates at Hughes Marino.
About Pacific Building Group
Founded in 1984, Pacific Building Group earned a strong reputation as a full-service general contractor specializing in tenant improvements. As a result of its commitment to excellent service, integrity and a personal approach, the company has grown to deliver a diverse range of construction projects, including ground-up, tenant improvement, healthcare, life science, hospitality and facilities maintenance. Today, Pacific Building Group is one of the largest and most respected locally based and operated general contracting firms in San Diego County. Through its dedicated and valued team of over 150 employees who implement the company’s vision of “Delivering the highest level of service, every time,” Pacific Building Group strives to complete projects in which employees, strategic partners and the community can take pride. For more information, please visit pacificbuildinggroup.com or call (858) 552-0600.