City College will be receiving a new $18.7-million classroom building on West Campus to facilitate the removal of the East Campus portables.

After months of discussion, the Board of Trustees voted to approve the proposal to utilize Measure V funds to finance the new building in a 6-1 vote at the Oct. 25 meeting, only trustee Joan Livingston voted against the proposal. Superintendent-President Dr. Lori Gaskin made the proposal after the portable buildings were found to be unsafe in a structural assessment in addition to a violation from the California Coastal Commission stating that the portables were installed without approval.

“This is really a milestone vote that you just did,” said Gaskin, addressing the trustees. “On behalf of the entire campus I’d like to thank you. Those portables need to go away. That you recognize that and have allocated this important funding stream really makes a statement to the institution.”

Between the Humanities Building renovation and the new classroom building the college will have depleted the remaining Measure V funds.

The new building will be built near the West Campus bus roundabout where several portable buildings are currently located north of the Garvin Theatre. These portables are currently serving as swing space to accommodate those who were previously located in the Humanities Building, which is still under construction.

The building will hold 45-50 students per classroom, will be over 30,000 square feet, three stories high, and contain up to 24 classrooms sized at 960 square feet each.

Joe Sullivan, vice president of business services, said that construction will not begin for at least 18 months, as the college is still conceptualizing the design plans and must get them approved by the California Coastal Commission.

“It will take us a little longer to get this going,” Sullivan said. “It will take some time to get through those processes.”

The next regular Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Nov. 15.