Education Center at Marina History
MPC had a strong presence at Ft Ord during the years leading up to the base’s closure in 1993 by providing general education curriculum to the troops and their dependents. The regional demand for educational services remains, and now the College has the opportunity to fulfill the demand for courses from the communities of Marina, Seaside, and CSUMB.
The College received the 20+ acres Imjin Road property in August 2005. In fall 2006, discussions with the City of Marina regarding potential traffic impact on the Education Center resulted in property adjustments that eliminated potential negative impact to the site. These property adjustments were approved by the MPC Board of Trustees at the February 27, 2007 meeting.
The College formed the Ft. Ord Advisory Committee in the fall of 2005 to establish the preliminary master plan for the site and to select the architects who will help guide the process. Out of this process, two subcommittees were formed in the spring of 2006, the Education Center Project Team, and the Public Safety Project Team, with approval of the Academic Senate. In the fall of 2006, the Education Center Project Team was expanded to include four additional faculty members from different segments of the College, in cooperation with the Academic Senate.
The Education Center Project Team will serve as an advisory body to recommend a general mission for the Center including overall programmatic directions, based on input from division surveys, the community needs assessments, and institutional goals.
Conversations regarding co-planning are also underway between the College, the City of Marina, CSUMB, and the private developers. The intent is to develop strong win-win partnerships between and amongst the College and the agencies to best share resources and maximize opportunities.