Kern Community College District and Bolthouse Properties, LLC have entered into an agreement to begin development on a satellite campus on the southeast side of Bakersfield in order to anticipate future growth and meet the needs of the outlying communities.
KCCD and Bolthouse began discussions on Sept. 6 and are currently in a due diligence period, or time of discussion and review.
“Bolthouse Properties has been very helpful. their commitment to appropriate community development and the district’s commitment to education just fit together. We now have the opportunity to meet south-county residents’ two-year postsecondary educational needs in a convenient and cost-effective manner,” said William Andrews, president of Bakersfield College.
Additionally, Andrews emphasizes that the Panorama campus will be “at its maximum” by 2015, requiring the need for additional facilities and campuses. Currently, the Panorama campus can hold a maximum of 15,000 students; 20,000 total students are enrolled, which includes weekend and night class students.
This master-planned development, which encompasses over 1,600 acres, will include the district’s educational facilities, a large residential tract with low- and medium-priced homes, as well as schools, parks, and retail businesses.
Retail and commercial establishments would be supported by BC’s career and technical programs, which would include enterprises through automotive, maintenance and manufacturing. Internship opportunities would also be made available to students through a collective effort between BC’s career and technical program and job placement center and various commercial and industrial employers.
BC and KCCD personnel have no intention of duplicating majors or services already offered at other campuses within the district.
“Unless we can’t meet the need or demand here [BC], we won’t duplicate majors. Our goal, rather, is to create new majors and opportunities for our students,” said Andrews.
The proposed campus will include a total of 126 acres along Highway 99, south of Bear Mountain Boulevard. Bolthouse Properties donated 66 acres to the project, while KCCD purchased the additional 60 acres at a cost of $3.6 million, or $60,000 per acre. Funding for the purchase came from the Safety Repair and Improvement District bond approved by Kern County voters in 2002.
This project allows Bolthouse Properties and KCCD to partner together and provide significant benefits and rewards for Kern County residents. Employment, education, and housing will be made available in one central location.
“We are confident that our partnership with Bakersfield College and the Kern Community College District will result in significant benefit to Kern County residents,” said Anthony Leggio, president of Bolthouse Properties, LLC.
In addition to this proposed property, a 225-acre campus is planned for the northwest side of Bakersfield, off of Kratzmeyer road. According to Andrews, if planning and development processes continue to move at a reasonable rate, both the northwest and south campuses could be ready for classes by 2015. This property was purchased at a cost of $12.375 million, or $55,000 per acre.
“Right now, we’re looking at every aspect to make sure that this project makes sense to us and be proactive and look far enough down the road and be prepared. We want to be ready when the population gets there,” said Andrews.
The Panorama location is a 30-minute drive or more for many students living in outlying areas throughout Kern County. According to Andrews, the southeast location is ideal for Bakersfield College with current accessibility to major transportation for students coming from southeast areas such as Arvin and Lamont.
According to Andrews, this project is in the beginning stages of development and has “much time until fruition,” and additional meetings are tentatively scheduled through the end of the year.
“Our best judgment is that the population is going to continue to explode, and given that money is never plentiful, we want to be well prepared to meet the needs of the community so that we can make sure things happen when the need arises,” said Andrews.