SOLEDAD — Hartnell College and the City of Soledad reached an agreement Dec. 5 on a land sale for the new satellite campus.
According to Hartnell College Board Trustee Erica Padilla-Chavez, the college conducted a study for economic analysis on what impact their college has on the community surrounding them.
“Hartnell College students make on average $10,400 more than an individual with just a high school diploma,” Padilla-Chavez said. “By having the campus here, many in our community are potentially going to benefit from that positive economic impact.”
Bringing Hartnell College to Soledad would mean that every dollar that Hartnell spends on education, it gets $10.40 return on investment to the community.
Facilities Management Executive Director Joseph Reyes spoke to the council about the current progress, which will go before the state for school site approval in January.
“Our goal is to break ground in mid-summer of 2019, and the project is earmarked to take about 14 months,” Reyes said. “If everything goes well, we will have classes in the spring of 2021.”
Soledad Hartnell Campus would be about 1,700 square feet, and $8.8 million is earmarked for the project. The campus aims to have a wet and dry laboratory when it is approved and be able to offer any class at the campus.
The real estate sale was approved by three councilmembers, Mayor Pro-Tem Alejandro Chavez, Carla Stewart and Marisela Lara. Councilmember Anna Velazquez recused herself from the decision and Mayor Fred Ledesma was not present.
