Over a year has passed since the groundbreaking of the new performing arts center on the corner of Chapman Avenue and Lemon Street. The new building is set to house both music and theater to make a performing arts complex.
So far the TV studio located in the 2001 building will not be torn down to make room for this project, according to Dean of Fine Arts, Grant Linsell.
When finished, the new performing arts complex will replace both the performing arts and music centers so that students can study their respective subjects in a single facility to meet the required courses they need to accomplish.
“Theater is really dependent on the facility. They are currently operating in a building that’s 60 years old. The new state of the art facility will train students to work in modern facilities,” said Linsell. “The fine arts division currently offers classes in six buildings, and I’m really excited that we’re able to consolidate that so that all the performing arts are together in one place.”
The previous performing arts and music centers, located at the 1300 and 1100 buildings, are going to be replaced by a new Welcome Center, which will house academic counseling, financial aid, administration and other essential services that aim to help students along their academic paths.
According to Fullerton College President Cynthia Olivo, construction to relocate the Welcome Center from the 2000 building is being postponed until the school receives additional funding for the project.
Olivo said originally they were given $20 million in November 2024 for the Vocational STEM building with the agreement that the college would provide a $20 million match. This particular science building will move to the 1600 building, where the current horticulture center is. As a result, the Welcome Center project is going to be put on hold until a brand new bond is passed. According to Olivo, those matched funds will likely be sought from the state.
“We were lucky enough to qualify for state funding so the total cost is about two-thirds our bond and one third from the state. Without the state building we probably couldn’t have done it since it’s expensive,” said Linsell.
In a presentation announcing the “Educational and Facilities Master Plan Refresh”, Chancellor Byron D. Clift Breland said that the goal of these changes is to make sure they coincide with the Facilities Master Plan; a plan to make new accommodation opportunities for the anticipated programs on each campus in the district and demonstrate ambitions in a flexible learning area.
With this in mind, a series of projects were set as priorities for facilities, one of which included the new performing arts complex. Olivo acknowledged that one of the real-world problems that Fullerton College is facing is the rising costs that are tied with labor and materials, forcing some of the projects on a waiting list.
She said as of now, the new Welcome Center will not be the main focus due to lack of funds. For more on the end result, the rest is detailed on the NOCCCD capital projects website.
‘It will make it easier for students to access services, increase our student retention and add to our vibrant environment at our college,” Olivo said in an email statement to The Hornet.
A previous version of this article misspelled the name of Chancellor Byron D. Clift Breland.
