{"id":513644,"date":"2026-10-31T02:08:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T02:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/513644\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T02:08:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T02:08:08","slug":"cal-state-dominguez-hills-celebrates-231-million-campus-expansion-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/513644\/","title":{"rendered":"Cal State Dominguez Hills celebrates $231 million campus expansion \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students living on campus at Cal State Dominguez Hills now have access to meals three times a day, seven days a week at the university\u2019s first residential dining hall<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The new Dining Commons are part of a $231.5 million campus expansion, which the university celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 29.<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s event celebrated the opening of five new buildings and facilities, including a Health, Wellness and Recreation Center; a freshmen-only, low-income-designated Student Residence Hall; the Dining Commons; an Orthotics and Prosthetics Science and Technology Hub; and an electrical switchyard and more than 200 electric vehicle charging stations.<\/p>\n

\"Cal<\/p>\n

Cal State Dominguez Hills President Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Carson<\/p>\n

Carson City Council Member Cedric L. Hicks and former CSUDH President Thomas Parham pose for pictures after the unveiling of the new Torro Bull statue at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Shirley<\/p>\n

Shirley Smith speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies at Cal State Dominguez Hills for new campus additions, including the new Gil Smith Plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Carson<\/p>\n

Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes is joined by fellow city council members and State Assemblyman Jos\u00e9 Luis Solache as they pose for pictures after the unveiling of the new Torro Bull statue at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Carson<\/p>\n

Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes is joined by fellow city council members and State Assemblyman Jos\u00e9 Luis Solache as they pose for pictures after the unveiling of the new Torro Bull statue at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"State<\/p>\n

State Senator Laura Richardson is joined by Steven Bradford, Mike Gibson, Ayanna Davis and Jos\u00e9 Luis Solache as she speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies at Cal State Dominguez Hills for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Officials<\/p>\n

Officials pose for pictures after the unveiling of the new Torro Bull statue at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Carson<\/p>\n

Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Homes speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies at Cal State Dominguez Hills for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Students and faculty pose for pictures after the unveiling of the new Torro Bull statue at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Officials<\/p>\n

Officials pose for pictures after the unveiling of the new Torro Bull statue at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Students and faculty pose for pictures after the unveiling of the new Torro Bull statue at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Cal<\/p>\n

Cal State Dominguez Hills President Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Cal<\/p>\n

Cal State Dominguez Hills President Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Carson<\/p>\n

Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Homes speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies at Cal State Dominguez Hills for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Cal<\/p>\n

Cal State Dominguez Hills President Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Officials<\/p>\n

Officials at Cal State Dominguez Hills hold an open house and series of ribbon cuttings for their campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

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Cal State Dominguez Hills President Dr. Mary Ann Villarreal speaks during ribbon cutting ceremonies for new campus additions, including a new plaza, new buildings and a Toro Bull statue, on Thursday October 29, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Those who attended Thursday\u2019s celebration also toured the new spaces all afternoon during an open house, receiving goodie bags of toiletries, cold\/hot compresses and other items related to the building they visited. The Dining Commons even served free food, giving guests a taste of what students can experience there.<\/p>\n

Historically considered a commuter school, the new additions are intended to transform CSUDH into a more residential college life experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n

State Sen. Laura Richardson, whose district includes Carson, said Thursday that the college\u2019s leaders have brought the campus from what some incoming students may have seen as an afterthought to now a first option<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis campus was one that people said, \u2018There\u2019s no place to live, there\u2019s not a lot of places to eat; that\u2019s, like, my last choice,\u2019\u201d Richardson said. \u201cYou\u2019ve taken this university to be a university of choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students, faculty and guests stepped into the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center for the first time on Thursday for that building\u2019s grand opening. The 82,000 square-foot facility\u00a0 boasts courts for basketball and other indoor activities, a running track, fitness and training rooms, a pool, massage and light therapy stations, and other amenities. And, officials said, it was entirely student-driven, designed, named and funded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt reflects the needs and aspirations of our students,\u201d said Tiffany Herbert, interim vice president for student affairs at CSUDH. \u201cThey weren\u2019t building something for themselves, but those who come after them; that\u2019s the true meaning of legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The HWRC also includes a satellite psychological services and mental health center, a satellite student health center, a healthy eating and nutritional counseling center, and a stress-reduction and relaxation room.<\/p>\n

The courtyard outside of that center is named the Gil Smith Memorial Plaza<\/a>, dedicated to the Carson\u2019s first mayor, who helped create this Cal State University campus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s widow, Shirley Smith, said Thursday that she is both joyful and comforted that her husband learned of the then-upcoming honor before his death in November 2024. The recognition meant a great deal to him, she said, especially that future generations of CSUDH students would enjoy the open air gathering space.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis commitment to and love for this campus spanned more than six decades,\u201d Smith, a community advocate and philanthropist, said at the ceremony. \u201cIn the 1960s, Gil was among the first to recognize the potential of what many saw as an abandoned (agricultural and industrial area).\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time, the Palos Verdes Peninsula was considered the ideal site for a new CSU campus, but Gil Smith\u00a0 led the effort to establish the campus in what would become the city of Carson.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than 60 years later, you can look around and appreciate just how right Gil was,\u201d his widow said. \u201cFrom the very first day he stepped foot on this unlikely landscape, he was committed to the institution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officials also unveiled a statue of a Toro, the school\u2019s mascot, in the center of the Gil Smith Memorial Plaza on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the years pass, I believe in many ways, (Gil Smith\u2019s) presence will remain here,\u201d Shirley Smith said, \u201chis voice will continue to be heard and his heart will continue to beat within this university for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

The freshman-serving residence hall, meanwhile, is four stories, with a mix of single, double and triple rooms. The building can house up to 288 students, and includes a lounge, multipurpose room, living room, laundry room, communal bathrooms and a courtyard. In August, 200 students moved into the residence hall.<\/p>\n

The Dining Commons, which opened in August, offers eight food stations, and has indoor and outdoor seating for more than 350 people. Before, there were on-campus food options like grab-and-go cafes, said residential life coordinator Daryl Robinson, but this is CSUDH\u2019s first formal residential dining hall.<\/p>\n

Those living in the new residence hall are required to have meal plans.<\/p>\n

The Orthotics and Prosthetics Science and Technology Hub, which opened in the spring, brought CSUDH\u2019s orthotics and prosthetics master\u2019s degree program back to the main campus from a Los Alamitos location. The lab includes a student makerspace, plaster room, staging area, machine room and a CAD-Mechatronics room where students can 3D print prosthetics and other medical devices.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also expected to be an equipment and repair space for the LA28 Paralympics games, according to the school\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

The Southern California Edison electrical switchyard, meanwhile, is made to conserve energy through electric heating and more. The 203 new EV chargers makes CSUDH the CSU campus with the most EV chargers to date, officials said.<\/p>\n

Amid the celebration, however, members of the California Faculty Association protested on the sidelines as part of \u201cCost of Living is a Nightmare\u201d rallies happening statewide as the CSU faculty union prepares to potentially vote to strike for higher pay.<\/p>\n

The CFA is fighting for fair wages, as well as protections against artificial intelligence replacing counselors and other faculty, said Paul Fornelli, who is part of the communications faculty at CSUDH, as well as co-president and lecturers chair for the university\u2019s CFA chapter. The union is currently in the middle of collective bargaining for a higher minimum base salary, among other proposals; the previous agreement expired in 2024, Fornelli said.<\/p>\n

Professors are happy about students\u2019 new facilities, Fornelli said, but the faculty members who teach them need support too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Students living on campus at Cal State Dominguez Hills now have access to meals three times a day,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513645,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[2304,7,16844,42163,131,133,132,137,100,200,34434],"class_list":["post-513644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-cal-state-domiguez-hills","tag-california","tag-carson","tag-colleges","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-county","tag-news","tag-south-bay","tag-universities"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513644\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}