Following the partial reallocation of Measure G’s budget to a Foothill College dental clinic, the Measure G task force has been in limbo. As student task force members graduate and the committee reshuffles its priorities, the future of Measure G continues to be up in the air.
The original Measure G Mega Project proposal was approved by the Board of Trustees in June of 2019. It outlined the decommission of the Flint Center for the Performing Arts, an overhaul of the arts quad and the construction of a new events center and student services center.
This proposal was drafted under the assumption that the Mega Project would receive the full $75 million budget. However, the specific expenses associated with this proposal had not been officially approved by the Board of Trustees.
The Measure G task force is now operating under a $55 million budget, a drastic cut from the amount they were expecting, but had not been guaranteed.
“It’s going to affect the original plan significantly, because when the task force made the recommendation, we weren’t given clear guidance of what kind of budget we had,” said Tina Lockwood, furniture, fixtures and equipment coordinator and member of the Mega Project task force.
Despite fewer promised funds, task force members see the benefit of having a known budget.
“I think that the new spending is a right step in which the campus can move forward with what proposals are possible within the given budget,” said Isaac Tsang, outgoing DASG vice president and student member of the Mega Project task force. “Before the decision, the funding was not certain; it is now.”
The main priority of the project was the removal of the outdated Flint Center, of which demolition started this quarter. This was the focus at the start of Measure G fund allocations, even prior to the creation of the Mega Project task force. As of now, removing the Flint Center is the only plan to be carried out in the known future.
Numerous issues have brought up concerns about the Flint Center’s safety and structural soundness, which is what originally caused it to become defunct in 2019. The currently unused building houses asbestos, exposed rebar, cracks, a substandard fire alarm system and more problems that increase the cost of its upkeep. De Anza utilities also currently run underneath the Flint building, and the task force plans to oversee their relocation.
“Its heyday was over,” Lockwood said. “I think that it wasn’t really serving us, and I want very much to have something in its place that serves us.”
As the Flint Center’s removal has been evaluated as necessary by the task force and the Board of Trustees, the task force is now planning updates to the arts and student services buildings around the cost of its demolition.
“What kind of a building can we have for the arts? And what kind of a building can we have for student services? That’s what the task force is going to look at,” Lockwood said. “What kind of building can we get with the money that we have left?”
As the end of Spring quarter approaches, the task force is approaching a transitory period. Staff who are staying on the task force will voluntarily convene during vacation time in the Summer quarter. The task force is still recruiting new student representatives, which has also slowed its progress.
“Not a whole lot of progress has been made yet because we have new members,” Lockwood said. “And we’re trying to catch the new members up to speed.”
Faculty in the creative arts department are anticipating new changes, as the task force aims to upgrade arts facilities.
“The infrastructure needs of both (Foothill and De Anza) are quite dire, so compromise and creative thinking are needed as we move forward,” said Kristin Skager, interim dean for the creative arts. “I look forward to collaborating with others to envision a creative space that will support the mission of the college.”
“What is being offered now does nothing for music students,” said Dr. Ilan Glasman, music department chair. “We would like an opportunity to talk about what the music department needs in terms of upgrades and improvements, to better serve our students.”
