Contractor budgets extends construction timeline
By Joey Caraway, September 1, 2026
Murky, algae-filled and overgrown, the duck pond, often referred to as the turtle pond, and surrounding area remain untouched after a previous Poly Post story reported plans to begin construction immediately following spring commencement.
Construction project manager Joseph Boyer provided a tentative timeline for construction of the pond and area previously occupied by the Palmitas and Cedritos residence halls along with the La Cienega Center and Los Olivos Commons, noting the schedule is dependent on the contractor.
“I would hope, on this end, that we actually start the reclamation and start work … sometime in December,” Boyer said. “The reclamation shouldn’t take more than … three to five months. So, by the end of spring semester, I hope to have the job completed.”
Boyer said both electrical problems and contractor pricing halted construction. “When we started getting pricing from contractors to do this, it came out to be substantially more than what we have budgeted for it,” Boyer said.
Despite these issues, original plans for the pond and surrounding area have not changed, according to Boyer.
The previous Poly Post report detailed the pond overhaul, which includes pathways weaving through the trees and landscape alongside various seating areas equipped with power charging stations.
The report also describes improvements to the pond, including guardrails, benches, landscape buffers and aeration equipment to ensure a balanced ecosystem. However, there are not any plans to reintroduce any fauna to the pond or surrounding area, according to Boyer.
“We’re gonna allow nature to do it,” Boyer said. “The turtles that were in there were an invasive species and we have no plans, on this end, to do any animal restoration.”
Fenced off since Feb. 24, 2025, some students, such as Emily Martinez, a first-year architecture student, are unaware of the duck pond’s existence on campus despite living in the Encinitas Traditional Hall, which is adjacent to the gated-off pond.
“I just had no idea we even had a pond,” Martinez said. “I definitely don’t see anything that’s happening … So, I think that once it does get done, it’ll definitely improve the school’s look a bit.”
Students are eager for the pond’s return, with a Reddit post on r/CalPolyPomona questioning the delays and reminiscing on what was once there.
Austin Lee, the post’s original creator and a former Encinitas Traditional Hall resident, said he was “absolutely devastated” by the pond’s removal, noting how much it meant to him and his friends.
“It was beautiful and then I took two gap years, and then when I came back, it’s all closed off,” Lee said. “It meant a lot to me because my first year there was really stressful and it was right next to the first-year dorms and it was a great place for me to just relax, take a second, gather myself and get back to work.”
Green spaces can provide benefits beyond their aesthetics. According to researchers in the Journal of Affective Disorders article “Interacting with Nature Improves Cognition and Affect for Individuals with Depression,” green spaces can reduce depressive symptoms and improve mood. The study also showed that participants exhibited significant increases in memory span after the nature walk relative to the urban walk.
Nature also provides a space for cognitive restoration, enhancing attention, memory and reaction time leading to better outcomes in the classroom, according to Stephen Kaplan in his article “The Restorative Benefits of Nature: Toward an Integrative Framework.”
“I hate to see Cal Poly Pomona just put it on the back burner,” Lee said. “Now, it’s just the antithesis of what it was before. It’s garish. It smells bad. It really just seems like the school doesn’t care too much about these spaces, and I’d hate for them to underestimate the importance that they have to campus life.”
However, plans have not been canceled or postponed, simply delayed.
According to Boyer, the completed project will provide a beautiful space for students and faculty while improving the campus’s appearance.
