Vol. 166, Issue 6 | Nov. 6 – Nov. 21, 2018 | City College of San Francisco | Since 1935 | FREE
New plans to vacate 33 Gough St. revealed By David Mamaril Horowitz dhorowitz@theguardsman.com
After buying two years of time to vacate its administrative center, the City College Facilities Department presented its latest plan to move administrators from the college center at 33 Gough St. onto Ocean Campus. The move became necessary in January 2017, when City College leased the administrative center to housing developers for 75 years, to begin July 1 that year. However, when the facilities department realized in May 2017 that it was unprepared to relocate the building’s administrators, it spent more than $1 million over two years to lease the building back until the day the center is vacated. Interim Facilities Vice Chancellor Dr. Rueben Smith, who inherited the issue from previous facilities and finance administrators, presented a moving plan to the board of trustees in September. The phased move — a mix-and-match of offices and classrooms — will begin in February or March, and finish by June 2019, Dr. Smith said. Vacating Gough Phase one would move the Guardian Scholars program, which helps college-bound former and current foster youth complete their education goals, from Multi-Use Building (MUB) to the first floor of the Student Union. The Outreach Department will be moved from MUB to the vacated Bookstore Annex next to the Muni bus yard. In phase two, financial aid office employees would move from Cloud Hall to the second floor of MUB. In phase three, the Division of Institutional Development Department would move from Conlan Hall to Cloud Hall to join the Research and Planning Department. Joining them in Cloud Hall would be Legal Affairs from the east Bungalows, as well as Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Luther Aaberge from 33 Gough St. In phase four, Admissions and Records as well as Registration will move from Conlan Hall and Smith Hall to MUB. The Office of Marketing will move into Conlan Hall. “We’re trying to consolidate all of the student services areas into one location instead of driving students all over campus,” Dr. Smith said. In phase five, Human Resources, Finance, Purchasing, Employee Relations and Professional Development will all be moved from 33 Gough St. to Conlan Hall. The Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Development suite will move from Conlan Hall to Smith Hall. In phase six, a center for students without citizenship status would be established in Cloud Hall, and CalWORKS would have to be moved out of Cloud Hall. Dr. Smith said that altogether, new arrivals would occupy three or four rooms on MUB’s first floor, as well as some space on the 2nd floor. Compromising Classrooms The 2012-built MUB contains some of the college’s most spacious classrooms. The majority of classrooms
in the college, built to decades-old standards, are smaller. MUB classrooms are also near the Link resource center, which provides a computer lab for students to research and print their work. It was only a month after the college leased out 33 Gough St. that more than a dozen students and teachers attended the Feb. 23, 2017 board of trustees meeting, and spoke out against having administrators move into the relatively new building. Steven Benwell, who introduced himself as a former convicted felon of 28 years, was the first. Students — not administrators — should have access to the larger MUB classrooms, he said. “If I didn’t have the resources here at City College to do this stuff, I would probably have to drop out of my classes,” Benwell said. “I’m trying to change my life.” He was attending college for the first time at City College, taking health classes and aspiring to become a community health worker. “Two [of my classes] are at the Southeast Center, which are small classrooms. They’re cramped, the technology has to be brought from here to there to make them work, it’s hard to teach there, it’s hard to learn there,” he said. “It doesn’t make any sense to close down these classrooms to use those classrooms to teach what we need to learn here.”
timeline Nov. 12, 2015
Board authorizes an agreement to contract with Equity Community Builders concerning City College’s administrative building, 33 Gough St. Soon after, developers ECB and Integral create 33 Gough, LLC.
Jan. 26, 2017
City College signs a Lease Disposition and Development Agreement as well as a ground lease with 33 Gough, LLC. The latter plans to develop 33 Gough St. into a housing units and rent them over 75 years, with an option to extend the lease 25 years. After the lease is over, they will return the property to City College.
May 25, 2017 · May 17, 2018
City College twice leases back 33 Gough St. after it’s unable to relocate administrators to Ocean Campus.
Jan. 31, 2018
A proposed project plan is submitted.
The contract states that upon signing both agreements, the college received $500,000 and $6 million upfront, respectively. The college is due an additional $5 million upon its signing a construction plan. And throughout the lease, 33 Gough, LLC will pay the college $400,000 or a percentage of their earned rent annually.
$
$
Over the next two years, City College pays $1,168,750.00
25 stories 518 residential units
Rendering by 33 Gough, LLC.
Aug. 30, 2018 — Facilities department vice chancellor Rueben Smith states that it needs until December 2019 to relocate administrators.
Others echoed his opinions.
Sept. 27, 2018 — Smith says the extension is no longer needed “This building is meant for us, and we and 33 Gough St. will be vacated in June 2019. He presents a deserve to use it,” international student map of where administrators will be relocated. Melania Rivas said at the 2017 meeting. “This is a state-of-the-art building that makes me want to come to class. In here, Spring 2019 — Relocations begin in phases. I feel like I’m learning. I feel like I’m in the year 2017 and like I’m not stuck in 1960, like June 2019 — Administrator relocation to Ocean Campus some of the classrooms in other locations.” is due for completion. 33 Gough St. is now vacant. At the September 2018 meeting, Dr. Smith said his department is working with the Office of Instruction to identify MUB’s general service If development proceeds as such, 33 Gough, classrooms and avoid having to move students or LLC would demolish the existing building to teachers out of MUB. 33 Gough St. continued on page 2
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construct a 25-story residential podium and tower with commercial space on the ground floor. Visit theguardsman.com for Map