In 1926, City College moved into its new, permanent home on the corner of Sutterville and Freeport. Back then it consisted of one main classroom building and a gym. Over the next 50 years various buildings were constructed, including the first library (now the Learning Resource Center), the auditorium (now the Performing Arts Center)  Lillard Hall, Mohr Hall and other buildings, in addition to Rodda Hall North and South built in 1977 to replace the original classroom building that fronted Freeport Boulevard. 

As the primary elections approach, there are new opportunities for improvements on campus. Measure E is a new general obligation bond being presented on the March 3 primary ballot.

If approved, Measure E would allocate $650 million in general obligation bonds to replace or renovate aging and damaged infrastructure on all campuses in the Los Rios Community College District, according to the Los Rios website.

Kaitlyn Collignon, communications and public information officer at City College, said the bond measure would, among other things, cover the costs of renovations to some of the college’s aging structures and classrooms. “We’ve really had to make the most of all of our space, but as times change it’s like our space needs change and buildings get older. Sometimes they need an opportunity to get a little love,” said Collignon.

To pass, the measure requires a 55% majority vote in favor of the current tax rate being extended rather than heightened to accommodate the funds requested, according to the Los Rios website. 

As learning needs change and the student population increases, the areas that need improvement are meticulously noted, Collignon said.  

“We actually go through the whole facilities planning process on each campus,” said Collignon. “The campus comes together to kind of get input from various constituency groups, including students, faculty, classified staff, managers, and they talk about what sort of priorities need to be met, what things we kind of really need to do based off the age of buildings, and then they put together a facilities master plan.” 

Over the years there have been operating issues with elevators, heating and air conditioning systems and diminished classroom space, all of which pose potential regulatory problems, as previously reported by the Express. 

“This would really help us to better serve students by providing better facilities, and up-to-date facilities that meet students’ changing needs more effectively,” says Collignon. “Rodda Hall North and South are two of the buildings that are on our list to modernize rather than rebuild.” 

The Rodda Hall North and South buildings currently house the Math, Statistics and Engineering division, Behavioral and Social Sciences division, Language & Literature division, the dental clinic and various counseling and lab resources for students. 

The district received funding through Measure A, which awarded $265 million, and Measure M’s $475 million over the past 18 years to replace, rebuild and renovate existing infrastructure districtwide, according to the Los Rios website.  

Mohr Hall, completed in 1962 and home to geology, physics, astronomy, nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy, has been rebuilt with funds from the passage of Measure A and Measure M. Completion of the new Mohr Hall is scheduled to be finished by the start of the fall 2020 semester, according to a recent Express article.

These improvements could directly impact students by “providing them the space and resources required to learn and to better prepare students with career-based skills,” said Collignon. 

“This is a great opportunity to further help put students back into the community and jobs that in turn help the community progress,” said Collignon.