Clovis Community College hopeful on new project

By Tomas Kassahun | Reporter
@TomasKassahun

Each year, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office requires every district to submit a Five-Year Construction Plan that lists all its proposed capital construction projects, which includes both state funded and locally funded projects.

This year, the CCCCO is requiring community college districts to submit their Five-Year Plan no later than July 1.

In the 2019-2023 Five-Year Construction Plan, there are 27 projects identified districtwide. One of those projects is the new Applied Technology Building at Clovis Community College. Phase 1 of this project is estimated to cost $40 million, with about $20 million requested from state funding and another $20 million from local Measure C match.

“The new Career Technical Education building will allow the college to offer additional short-term training programs for a variety of jobs in high demand, including mechatronics and occupational therapy assistant courses,” said Stephanie Babb, Director of Marketing and Communications at Clovis Community College.

Due its growth in capacity and demand, Clovis Community College can also get funding for Phase 2 of the project, which the CCCCO will consider after the first phase of the Applied Technology building is complete. Phase 2 is estimated at a cost of $18 million, with about $11 million coming from state funding and $7 million from Measure C match.

With Measure C allocating a total of $70 million to applied technology facilities for CCC, the remaining Measure C funds, after phase one and two, will be used to build the third phase of the project.

Still, there is no guarantee of getting state funding.

“It’s through a competitive process with other California community colleges,” said Christine D. Miktarian, Associate Vice Chancellor, Business & Operations at the State Center Community College District. “Because Prop 51 passed last November, there is a good chance we will get it funded. In fact, we were shown on the chancellor’s office recommendation to the governor to fund that first phase of the project.”   

Babb said Career Technical Education (CTE) programs provide economic development benefits to the entire community.  

“Access to quality educational programs, whether they are short-term training courses, or apprenticeships, allow students to learn the skills necessary to obtain well-paying jobs,” she said. “A skilled workforce retains businesses and provides incentives to attract new businesses to relocate or open in the Central Valley.”  

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