FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 9, 2002

Irvine Valley College One Step Closer to Performing Arts Building

IRVINE, CA—Irvine Valley College submitted plans to the state in May for the construction of a 400-seat Performing Arts Building to replace the school's aging Forum Theatre. The proposed Performing Arts Building will provide facilities for the school's theater, choral and instrumental music programs, and will address community education and community theater needs.

The Performing Arts Building has been long in development as part of Irvine Valley's Educational and Facilities Master Plan to unify campus services and to meet a growing demand by students and the community. The Educational and Facilities Master Plan and, in particular, the Performing Arts Building, is wholly separate from a recent $450 million proposal made by Irvine Valley Humanities Dean, Howard Gensler, who worked with a private investor to develop a possible alternative campus building project. The South Orange County Community College District board voted on June 24 not to pursue a partnership with the private investor.

Moreover, the school's current fine arts and humanities programs are in no way impacted by the Board's decision not to pursue the alternative campus building project; changing or removing curricula was not part of any discussion with the private investor.

If a state bond measure passes in November, the state will provide $777,200 for preliminary plans and working drawings for the 33,080-square-foot Performing Arts Building. The project includes 26,010 assignable square feet (ASF) for the theater, 5,940 ASF for laboratory space, 420 ASF for office space and 710 ASF for food service. The theater includes an orchestra pit and theater lift, a theater gallery, dressing rooms, a costume and scene shop, and seating for 350 on the main level and 50 seats on the balcony/gallery level. The facility will be fully accessible to persons with disabilities and incorporates an elevator that will provide access from the orchestra pit to the balcony.

Irvine Valley's existing 1,594-square-foot Forum Theatre is modest by comparison, with seating for 60 and a 50-square-foot lighting and technical control booth. With little in the way of usable instructional space, many faculty have put the new theater at the top of their needs list.

"We are compelled by the marketplace to build an expanded matrix of comprehensive college curricula to meet the needs of our students and our community," said Irvine Valley College President, Dr. Glenn Roquemore. "Our theater program is one of the most popular among our students, and this project always has been a part of Irvine Valley's five-year master plan. It's an asset that will be highly valued by students of wide interests and abilities, and it will provide lab and instructional space that is sorely needed by our faculty and staff."

The Initial Project Proposal (IPP) was sent to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office on May 1, which included an estimated construction cost of $15,613,938. Working drawings are expected in 2004. Funding for the facility will come from the State of California Community College Construction Funds and from the Irvine Valley College Foundation, which will begin a capital campaign in 2002. The Performing Arts Building is expected to be completed in September 2006.