LAKEPORT — With the planting of a tomato as a good omen for the project, the groundbreaking for the new Mendocino College Lake Center was held Thursday afternoon at its future location of 2565 Parallel Drive in Lakeport.
Gary Olson, realtor and Kelseyville Unified School District board member, provided Mike Adams, the director of facilities planning at the college, with the tomato. Olson said it is a tradition in his native Spain to plant a tomato at the beginning of a new venture and watching it grow.
More than 50 people were present for the groundbreaking. Kathy Lehner, the Superintendent/President of the college, said it was a “gorgeous day” to begin the project. She said the project had been a dream for years.
Lehner said the college started looking into Lake County”s demographics about seven years ago and said the county is getting younger, so it is an ideal time to begin a project such as this one.
Lehner said the new campus will be located on 31 acres, which will leave plenty of room for accommodating future needs of the community.
Phase one of the project will consist of three buildings, totaling 15,000 square feet, which will include a central administrative building housing admissions, counseling, learning resources, meeting and gathering spaces, and a classroom configured for community activities.
Two other buildings include the general classroom complex, which will have five classrooms and a computer lab, and another classroom building, which will include teaching laboratories for science, art and music.
Mark Rawitsch, dean of instruction for the college, said he had been waiting more than 20 years for this project to begin. He said it took many people working together to get the project under way.
The project was funded by Measure W, a 2006 bond measure passed by voters in Lake and Mendocino counties. Wright Contracting will be constructing the new facility. It is expected to open in January 2013.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
