Orange County’s community colleges are in the midst of a development boom.
The county’s growing population and money from state bonds are driving the building of classrooms, libraries and, in one case, an entirely new vocational campus.
State bonds approved by local voters in 2002 are paying for a majority of the construction projects at the county’s four community college districts. Other state and federal money, revenue from the colleges themselves and contributions are funding some of the work, according to the districts.
In all, there’s about $1.4 billion in work planned or completed at colleges. Here’s a look at what’s going on by district:
Coast Community College District
The operator of Coastline Community College in Fountain Valley, Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa’s Orange Coast College is spending $470 million in state bond money improving its campuses.
At Orange Coast College, the district plans to spend nearly $200 million upgrading its science buildings, building more bathrooms and upgrading an auditorium. It also plans to upgrade old sewer and water lines and parking lots.
The school also is building a library and health and physical education labs.
At Golden West College, the district has $96 million to spend modernizing its library. It also needs to renovate its student center and upgrade and expand its nurse training facilities. Part of the money is set to go toward constructing buildings with classrooms, labs and lecture halls.
At Coastline Community College, the school plans to spend about $66 million on technology upgrades and classroom buildings. It also plans to build a learning center focused on technology labs, business and professional training and instructional technology.
Rancho Santiago
The district, home to Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College in Orange, is spending $337 million renovating buildings and constructing classrooms.
Rancho Santiago also is expanding its vocational programs in a bid to turn out workers for local employers.
Last year, Santa Ana College opened a digital media center where students can earn associate degrees in computer graphics, television, video communications and marketing. The center also offers certificates in Web designing and TV production and provides a business incubator for entrepreneurs.
The budget for the center was $13.5 million, which included $1.6 million in a federal grant and state bond money, Chancellor Edward Hernandez Jr. said.
The city of Santa Ana gave 1.2 acres of land for the site near Santa Ana’s Artists Village, according to Mayor Miguel Pulido.
“There’s a growing need for digital media professionals in Orange County,” Pulido said.
At Santiago Canyon College, the school plans to use an 11.9-acre parcel given by The Irvine Company to build a science and math building. The school also plans to build a performing arts center and other buildings on 19 acres it bought in 2003 for $25 million.
North Orange County
The district, home to Cypress College, Fullerton College and continuing education schools in Anaheim, Fullerton, Yorba Linda and Cypress, has 22 major projects, according to Chancellor Jerome Hunter.
It has $239 million in funding from state bonds and $86 million in state and federal funding for campus upgrades, he said.
“Our student population is growing every year,” Hunter said. “It’s necessary for us to expand and improve our campuses.”
The district had 65,981 students enrolled at its campuses last fall.
At Cypress College, which offers general education, transfer and vocational courses including nursing and the county’s only mortuary science program, a 62,500-square-foot library finished earlier this year.
The library has a computer lab, writing center, learning center, teaching learning center and study rooms.
Ongoing projects at Cypress include a $16 million student center set to be done in 2008.
The two-story building is 34,643-square-feet and houses an 8,600-square-foot bookstore.
The student center is designed for administration, records and eateries, Hunter said.
Fullerton College’s 83-acre campus is seeing changes.
Nearly $135 million was allocated to the school, which offers general education, transfer and vocational courses.
Fullerton College, the state’s oldest community college started in 1913, recently finished a three-story parking structure and built a library, similar to the one at Cypress College.
Classrooms at Fullerton College are being remodeled for energy efficiency, Hunter said.
Ongoing projects include the building of classrooms, faculty buildings, a college center, the redesigning of physical education facilities and the possible construction of a child development center.
South Orange County
The district plans to spend $250 million to $300 million renovating its 38-year-old Irvine Valley College and its 49-year-old Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
It’s also building a vocational campus in Tustin called Advanced Technology & Education Park.
The district isn’t using state bond money, according to Chancellor Raghu Mathur. Instead, it’s using its own revenue and contributions, he said.
It spent $10 million building a portion of Advanced Technology & Education Park. The district plans to spend close to $1 billion over 10 to 15 years completing it.
The campus is on 68 acres of land on the edge of the former Tustin Marine base. The land was given to the district by the city of Tustin.
Advanced Technology & Education Park has five buildings, including a cafe with wireless Internet access, a laser lab and a building for making models and prototypes.
The campus plans to offer 24 courses on subjects such as homeland security training, digital film production and product engineering and design.
Advanced Technology & Education Park expects 200 to 300 students when it opens this fall.
