Following a water leak in November at Moreno Valley College’s Science and Technology Building, The iMake Innovation Center is still undergoing repairs with a planned reopening June 26 and is expected to be fully operational by Fall 2024.
The water damage was attributed to an emergency shower that had unknowingly activated on the floor above the iMake Innovation Center. This water leak caused damage to the majority of the equipment in the center. According to Makerspace Laboratory Technician Abraham Cifuentes, “80% of the items got damaged. The affected equipment included high end 3D printers, computers, egg incubators, chemistry equipment and much more.”
Originally expected to be operational at the beginning of the spring term, the large amount of equipment needing to be replaced caused some delays in the schedule. The delivery time frame for the equipment also contributed to the extended facility closure. “Each piece of equipment takes about three to four months to arrive,” Cifuentes said. The iMake Innovation team is currently ensuring any damaged equipment is being properly disposed as well as auditing for expired materials, in order to clear room for the new material being delivered.
The closing of the Makerspace has affected many on campus ranging from professors and clubs to the individuals in the broader Moreno Valley community. “We would have like 50 to 60 visitors daily and even as of November we still turned away around five to six people a day,” claimed Cifuentes.
One club currently being affected by the closure is MVC’s Psychology Club. The Psychology Club planned to use the Makerspace’s computers and design programs to help make the shirt logos for their fundraiser. Once the designs were created they were going to utilize the direct to fabric printer to physically create their shirts. “The club had plans to fundraise by selling t-shirts so it’s definitely a setback,” Psychology Club President, Jane Gamil said.
In addition to the fundraisers, the club also wanted to create matching shirts to present a sense of unity within the organization. Unfortunately, their plans must be delayed while the Makerspace personnel work to get the center up and running.
The Makerspace is not expected to be fully operational until Fall 2024, but it will be open to the public with limited functionality on June 26. The team at the Makerspace is hard at work to ensure everything will be prepared for the highly anticipated reopening. Until then MVC and the community eagerly await its return.
