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De Anza College’s historic Flint Center for the Performing Arts is being demolished to make way for a new event center. Funded by the Measure G mega project, the demolition comes in the wake of the Flint Center’s closure five years ago.
Excavators and work crews began tearing the building apart on Oct. 8, knocking a hole in the front of the building and beginning to demolish internal concrete structures as well as tearing open the wall facing the Flint parking structure; exposing gutted bathrooms, hand railings and seating sections within the now-defunct theater.
This comes after months of preparation for the exterior demolition over the summer, including the removal of roofing tiles, siding, as well as considerable interior work to remove hazardous materials. This demolition is just the first step in extensive construction and infrastructure work required to fully replace the soon-to-be former Flint Center.
Initially planned to run from July 2 to Sept. 30, the demolition is now scheduled to continue into January of 2025 per the Measure G construction updates page. This delay is likely because of a reshuffling of the Measure G taskforce, as reported on by La Voz and the lengthy procedures required for removal of hazardous materials.
On June 10, 2019, the FHDA Board of Trustees voted to permanently close the Flint Center, ending its 48-year tenure as De Anza’s primary event center.
The decision to close and fully replace the Flint Center came as a result of assessments finding the building not to meet multiple structural and seismic and safety codes. These deficiencies, as well as the likely presence of asbestos, a highly toxic insulation material, were highlighted in a 2023 environmental impact report filed with the state of California under the California Environmental Quality Act.
As reported by La Voz, the initial budget of $75 million for the project was lowered to only $55 million, after $20 million was reallocated to Foothill College’s dental hygiene clinic.
On Sept. 25 the Measure G taskforce unanimously approved a request for an initial $30 million out of the existing $55 million for construction of the new performing arts center and $9 million for a utilities building to support the new event center.
The board also referenced a plan to demolish the existing arts quad to build a new student services building at that location. However, according to the FHDA Bonds website, the Arts Quad demolition plan has been on hold since October 2023 and is still pending a final decision from the taskforce on whether to proceed with the plan or in a different direction.
