City to seek single college suitor

By: NICOLE SACK - Staff Writer | Thursday, August 9, 2007 11:34 PM PDT ∞

TEMECULA -- After a plan for developing an elaborate education center fell through, city officials now are ready to talk directly with major universities with the goal of bringing a bonafide college to Temecula, two city councilmen revealed Thursday.

The city has taken some hits lately from residents upset over the collapse of the deal that would have led to the development of an education center on a 32-acre lot at Diaz and Dendy roads.

But at a casual town hall meeting at the Temecula Public Library, when a resident asked "Has there ever been talk about bringing a junior college to the city," the council members said there had been and "still are" such discussions.

Moreover, Mayor Chuck Washington and Councilman Mike Naggar indicated the city is interested in attracting a four-year college.

"Not only are we looking to develop that property, we want a real university in Temecula," said City Councilman Mike Naggar. "We are starting to contact universities directly."

For nearly four years, the city had been working with a private developer to build the Temecula Education Center, which would have been a campus used by multiple schools that would have provided local options for night classes and college courses.

In March, the project died when the developer was unable to secure leases and financing and meet the city's requirements for the land transfer. The city still owns the land.

Temecula Mayor Chuck Washington said that among many reasons why the education center was a tough sell to the four schools initially planned to take part in the complex -- Mt. San Jacinto College, Concordia University, UC Riverside and Cal State San Marcos -- was that the schools didn't want to share the property or they couldn't enter into substantial leases for a piecemealed campus.

However, the property could be much more attractive to schools if they could own the land and have it to themselves, he said.

In addition, Washington said the benefit of having a single school calling Temecula home was that it could bring a greater sense of community identity.

"A 'college presence' wouldn't be achieved with what was planned," said Washington of the previous proposal. "We want more than that. We want what a university can bring to this community."

The city is examining five prospective proposals submitted June 22 for the city-owned lot. It was expected that a recommendation was to be made to the City Council on this coming Tuesday on what should be built on the land once intended for the education center.

Temecula Redevelopment Director John Meyers said that timetable has been scrapped and a new deadline has not yet been set for council review of the proposals.

Since the education center deal fell through, the council members have maintained that they have a commitment to bring a higher education facility to Temecula, but if they continued to pursue the old proposal they would be misspending taxpayers' money as the value of the land had increased from the original value of $3 million to $14 million.

Without receiving equal compensation --- the city was supposed to get $3 million in affordable housing from the deal -- the land transfer could be misconstrued as a gift of public funds and would be illegal, the city attorney previously stated.

-- Contact staff writer Nicole Sack at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or nsack@californian.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Great City wrote on Aug 10, 2007 7:06 AM:The leadership of this community continually reminds me of why I moved here. They just keep on pushing for the quality of life we all moved here for. No question.....bust run city in Riverside and probaly the state!

Yeah uh huh wrote on Aug 10, 2007 7:25 AM:Great City...you really need spell check buddy. But, you're right. It is the "bust" city in Riverside isn't it? Why would any college come here after the fiasco the city just went through?

AMEN wrote on Aug 10, 2007 8:03 AM:To Echo Great City: How many cities hold quarterly town hall meetings? Temecula is the largest 'Small Community" in the state. Getting a college will be very hard and take a long time...but you don't "get" unless you ask. Gor for it Temecula!

Uh wrote on Aug 10, 2007 8:16 AM:Best or bust, Great City?

Goldgoose wrote on Aug 10, 2007 10:24 AM:"Bust City?" Freudian slip I suppose, 32 acres is not a lot of land for a 4-year university unless planners use some creative techniques or unless it becomes an extension site. Now that universities would be partially responsible to mitigate potential traffic or other impacts, I believe this will remain a elusive dream. My question is, what is the city doing to boost economic development and growth of middle income jobs in the city.

CSU wrote on Aug 10, 2007 12:20 PM:We need a CSU extension site for Masters Programs. MUCH MUCH MUCH needed and there are PLENTY of young adults with young families who would LOVE to get their masters but can't because they are working full time and, at night, trying to be a parent to little ones. We need a master's program from an accredited university! GOOOOO FOR IT. There is a a real need and market for it in this area of young parents!!!!

Masters wrote on Aug 10, 2007 12:33 PM:I agree with CSU. I am presently looking for a school I could go to get my masters as well. I work close to this site so it'll would ideal for me.

Better Idea wrote on Aug 10, 2007 12:35 PM:This is a better concept than "An Education Center" --- that was a very strange idea and just unworkable. But, gettnig a REAL and ACCREDITED university here would be soooo WONDERFUL. No unaccredited education; like those schools that pretend to give you a degree. The real deal.. A UC or CSU or a Pepperdine. :) 32 acres is PERFECT for a small, private College.

College Watch wrote on Aug 10, 2007 9:07 PM:Kading and Sparkman and Frank wasted the city's time and all promised each other something none of them could deliver. Now the city can get to the business of working with some people who really can do a deal and not be so concerned with getting their name ( sparkman) on a building

good idea wrote on Aug 10, 2007 9:53 PM:I'd love to see UC Riverside or Cal State San Marcos open a site down in Temecula that offers Masters programs. Actually UCR does offer some graduate programs in Temecula in TVUSD facilities, but they are specifically geared towards the education field. I would like to see this expanded with a site for masters programs. UCR has a campus out in Palm Desert that is specifically for MBA programs so it would be great if there was a dedicated facility in Southwest County that consolidated the existing education graduate programs and additional masters programs such as the MBA and Masters in Biological Sciences. Temecula should start talking with the acting Chancellor of UCR to see how to move forward with expanding programs in the city. If Temecula can convince UCR to move into a permanent facility, I would guess that the Internet2 connection back to the main UCR campus will come with it and that will drive growth in high tech (research/biotech) companies in the surrounding community. Temecula is well poised to become a high tech hub as long as the city council talks with the right companies. After you have a reputable University in town (Sorry, University of Phoenix isn't sufficient), you will begin to attract businesses that pay higher wages. I know of at least one large technology company that would locate in Temecula if there was a good University in close proximity.

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