SCC closes deal for Vallejo property

November 19, 2003

SCC closes deal for Vallejo property

By Tanya Mannes/Reporter Staff

Solano Community College has found land in Vallejo on which to build a satellite college center, a key project in the Measure G bond approved by taxpayers last year.

College officials announced Monday they had closed a deal with Mandarich Development to purchase 10 acres in the Northgate Business Park. Construction is expected to begin this spring, officials said.

"This is a tremendous time for Vallejo to celebrate," said Bill Thurston, president of the SCC governing board and a Vallejo resident, in a press release. "Vallejo residents provided the strongest support for the bond, and soon they will have a first-class institution."

The satellite center will replace the existing limited classroom facilities in Vallejo.

The property is easily accessible from Interstate 80 and in a prime area of projected growth and development. Located adjacent to and south of Columbus Parkway at the intersection of St. John's Mine Road, the facility will be 50,000 square feet with modern classrooms and computer labs to meet the educational needs of the expanding Solano County population.

The college also will be building a new facility in Vacaville to replace its leased classroom space with modern buildings and a new computer lab.

Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. called the planned center a "tremendous addition to Vallejo's educational landscape."

"Knowing Vallejoans strongly supported this effort makes it even more rewarding," he said. "More educational opportunities can only enrich our community."

Measure G will infuse $124.5 million into the Solano Community College system through 2009 for new college facilities plus upgrades to the existing campus infrastructure, which is more than 30 years old.

The college has established a partnership with Sonoma State University in order to offer bachelor's degree programs at the new campus. SCC students will be able to complete a four-year degree without changing campuses, according to Superintendent Paulette Perfumo.

"This is an exciting opportunity to bring higher education to the south county through the Solano College Vallejo Center," she said.

Tanya Mannes can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.