COSTA MESA

The Business Education Building at Orange Coast College has done its job well for close to 50 years. Now the sprawling one-story structure is getting its own tender, loving care. It is one of eight campus buildings to undergo seismic retrofitting, an upgrade recommended by state architects two years ago.

“We have to make sure these buildings can withstand a 7.0 [earthquake],� said Mike Carnett, maintenance lead at the community college. He and his crew will spend close to three months on each building, installing metal beams along their exteriors and putting in underground reinforcement. Crews must also make the structures comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Founded in 1948, the college was overlooked for structural enhancements during the 1970s and ‘80s because funds were being used to build community colleges throughout the county, Carnett said. The campuswide retrofitting is expected to be complete by 2002, Carnett said.