City College officials have decided to move forward with a $20 million dollar remodel of the Drama/Music departments despite the state’s inability to fund the project.
According to Joe Sullivan, vice president of business services, the college is not relinquishing its right to state funding, only fronting the cost until reimbursement is possible.
“When we received notice that we would not be receiving state funding, we decided it’s a more efficient use of the funds to just go forward and commence construction,” Sullivan said.
One major reason the college has decided to move forward with the project is because the Drama/Music departments have already been moved out of the buildings and it is not possible to move them back in.
Two major obstacles preventing the college from receiving reimbursement for the project is the lack of a state budget and California’s bond rating, which is the lowest of any state.
The successful sale of $47 million of Measure V bonds has allowed the college to proceed with the remodel, as it falls under the list of projects the bond money is intended for.
Measure V, a $77 million district bond measure, is intended to improve academic facilities at City College. If everything goes as planned, the bond measure would fund 10 projects on campus.
“It is a pretty extensive program (Measure V), we won’t be able to do everything we said, but we’re holding to the Measure V list as closely as possible.” Sullivan said.
If the state does not fund bond projects in the future it will not be possible to do all of the projects identified in Measure V.
The remodel is scheduled for board approval of the 13-month project in March, although Sullivan characterized this timetable as aggressive.
In the meantime, faculty and students in the Drama/Music departments have been relocated to portables and adjunct buildings.
The Measure V Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee will hold a meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19th. The committee was formed to provide input on the college’s implementation of bond projects.
