Months after an electrical fire forced the closure of the Brentwood Center bookstore, students and staff at Los Medanos College continue adjusting to campus life without one of the center’s primary student resources.
The bookstore has remained closed since Aug. 30, 2025, after a refrigerator unit experienced an electrical failure that triggered the building’s fire suppression system, according to Director of Maintenance and Operations Jarrod Holcombe. While the sprinkler system extinguished the fire, the resulting water damage impacted the bookstore and nearby instructional spaces in Building 400.
Repairs are now underway, with the college projecting construction to be completed in early July.
In an email sent to the campus community shortly after the incident, LMC President Pamela Ralston said the college was working to reopen the bookstore “as soon as possible” while minimizing disruptions caused by repairs.
Nearly a year later, faculty at the Brentwood Center say the prolonged closure has continued affecting day-to-day operations and classroom logistics.
Scott Hubbard, a math professor at the Brentwood Center, said one of his classes this semester was canceled because of low enrollment, while another course that relies heavily on physical notes faced complications due to the bookstore closure.
Hubbard said he had to print materials for students himself, something he typically would not have to do if the bookstore were operating normally.
“Usually students can purchase the notes physically through the bookstore or access them digitally,” Hubbard said. “Without the bookstore, that process became more complicated.”
Holcombe said NBC, the approved general contractor overseeing repairs, officially received notice to proceed on March 13. Construction work is currently taking place during nights and weekends to minimize disruptions to instruction and campus activities.
“The repairs are progressing as planned,” Holcombe said in an email interview.
Although the college says there have been no delays so far, Holcombe noted that material supply chain issues could still affect the final completion timeline.
The bookstore space itself is not expected to undergo major redesigns or renovations beyond restoration work.
“As the building is relatively new, the goal is to restore the space to its original design and condition,” Holcombe said.
The reconstruction project is being overseen by CSI, the district’s approved construction management firm for capital projects. According to Holcombe, repairs are being funded through an insurance claim because the damage resulted from equipment failure.
While classes and other services at the Brentwood Center resumed shortly after the fire, the bookstore’s continued closure has left students and faculty adapting to the absence of a space many relied on for textbooks, course materials and supplies.
With construction projected to finish in July, questions still remain about whether the bookstore will reopen in time to fully support summer operations and preparations for the fall semester.
