PCC hosts groundbreaking at former Roberts Elementary on Friday
February 15, 2012
Tucson, AZ – Pima Community College will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday to mark the start of renovations for the future home of its Adult Education division and the Public Safety and Emergency Services Institute.
What: Roberts Groundbreaking Ceremony
Where: Courtyard of former Roberts Elementary School, 4355E. Calle Aurora
When: Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
PCC’s new Roberts Center will be housed in former Roberts Elementary School, a 51-year-old building no longer needed by the Tucson Unified School District.
The transformation of the vacant school is being enthusiastically welcomed by Rene Gastelum, a member of the 29th Street Corridor Coalition.
“The families and members of the 29th Street Coalition are very thankful that Pima Community College has partnered with our neighborhoods in establishing its Public Safety and Emergency Services Institute at what is now a vacant school,” he said. “The daily presence of law enforcement and fire personnel at this site will be a tremendous asset to us, and it will assist in deterring any unwanted criminal activity in our community.”
Gastelum will be among the speakers at Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony. Joining him will be:
- Dr. Suzanne Miles, PCC Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
- David Longoria, a member of the PCC Board of Governors
- Dr. Lupita Garcia, TUSD’s Assistant Superintendent for Government Programs and Community Outreach
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, tours will be given of the building.
PCC’s Board of Governors unanimously approved a five-year lease of the building from TUSD in November. As part of the lease, the College will spend at least $300,000 to transform the 43,000-square-foot building into offices and classrooms, and improve parking.
The annual lease rate for Roberts will be $70,000. Once PCC moves in, it likely will not require two other facilities currently leased for a combined annual cost of $240,000.
Roberts Elementary opened in 1961 and was named after Clara Fish Roberts, a teacher and the first woman trustee in TUSD. The school merged last year with the nearby Naylor Middle School.
For more on the lease and history of the building, see the November 28, 2011, press release on the lease at www.pima.edu/press-room/news-releases/2011.
For more information on Robert's Center and the lease, visit the fact sheet.
CONTACT:
C.J. Karamargin
Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations
(520) 206-4850
ckaramargin@pima.edu