|
Patterson considers joining with college district on library/campus |
|
|
|
Written by Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator /
|
|
Wednesday, 19 December 2007 |
Modesto Junior College officials have been searching for a new West Side campus site during the past two months.
The city of Patterson has been planning a community center complex at Ward and Las Palmas avenues for the past couple of years.
Now, city and college district officials could combine those visions, joining with the county library system to create a building that could be used jointly as a library and interim college campus.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 square feet of a proposed 30,000-square-foot building could house a West Side campus for MJC until the junior college is able to find a permanent facility. The rest of the $10 million building would contain a library shared by the city and the campus. Once a permanent facility is ready for the campus elsewhere in town, the library could occupy all of the building.
Patterson’s City Council deliberated Tuesday evening about whether to pursue negotiations with Stanislaus County and the Yosemite Community College District. Details from the meeting were not available as of press time.
“This is sort of the preliminary part of the process,” said Nick Stavrianoudakis, director of external affairs for the Yosemite Community College District, “to see how the City Council feels about it.”
It is unclear who would foot the bill for the building. One option would be for the college district to pay the full cost up front and then lease part of the building to the county for the library. Money the college received from the lease could be used toward a permanent facility.
City Manager Cleve Morris said the idea for a joint-use library came after a county library master plan in spring 2007 mentioned the idea of regional libraries. The new library would offer more services than the local library does now and could be used by residents throughout the West Side.
The idea for offering classes in the building came after the college district, which oversees MJC and Columbia College in Sonora, started searching for a new site when a deal fell through on 40 acres near Sperry Avenue and Baldwin Road in October.
The college is still looking at a few possible permanent sites in the Patterson area, but none of them would be ready to build on right away, Stavrianoudakis said.
The district already has $5 million available from a bond measure passed by voters in November 2006.
However, it is unknown where the additional $5 million would come from if the district were to pay the entire construction cost of the building up front. Another option would be for the city or the county to help with the initial cost.
Morris, who has been involved in other joint-use agreements, said he feels strongly about such projects. The city can get more done when it combines efforts with others, he said.
“This is one of those things that’s not as much a need as an opportunity that’s presented itself,” he said.
To reach Jonathan Partridge at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed