Community Unveils New 'Gateway' to Campus with Ribbon Cutting
Current and former City College community members turned out in droves on Thursday, Aug. 29, to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new “gateway” to campus at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Frida Kahlo Way.
By Lev Farris Goldenberg
Current and former City College community members turned out in droves on Thursday, Aug. 29, to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new “gateway” to campus at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Frida Kahlo Way.
The $140 million Student Success Center concentrates 30 student development programs under one roof, including academic counseling, tutoring, career center, and transfer center.
“Today is not just about cutting a ribbon,” said Chancellor Kimberlee Messina. “It is about opening doors for our students, their families and for the future of San Francisco.”
After two years of construction, the two-story, 72,000 square foot building is open for business. According to Vice Chancellor Lisa Wilkins, 700 students walked in for services on the first day of the fall semester.
On Thursday, students, faculty and local leaders filled the bright atrium, where black and red ribbons and balloons adorned the second-floor railing like bunting on opening day.
Just before the speakers took to the podium, the entire football team filed in, sporting Ram red.
Behind the dais, the newly refurbished 16-ton black granite statue, “The Whales” — created by Robert B. Howard for the 1939 World Fair on Treasure Island — shone through the windows.
Trustees past and present heralded the Success Center’s arrival, including District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, who once worked in Conlan Hall, the location’s previous, wilting occupant. Chan drew raucous applause when she mentioned another gateway to campus, the Free City program.
District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, a former City College Trustee, reflected on the journey it took to get here.
“I don’t imagine … that 13 years ago, as we were surveying what was going on (with the accreditation crisis), we would have imagined we’d be back here now with this amazing building,” Mandelman said.
Former Board of Trustees president Shanell Williams, one of many former City College alumni in attendance, echoed Mandelman’s sentiment.
“This has been a long, hard journey to get to this place and to see this building … It makes me feel so happy, so thrilled, so delighted that we're giving this beautiful gift to our students and our community. We are building on the promise that we made a long time ago to San Francisco.”
In 2020, San Francisco voters passed Prop. A, a bond measure directing $845 million to City College for repairs, earthquake retrofitting, energy sustainability, and new facilities.
In the past year, students and faculty have begun to reap the fruits of the bond. In December, the college unveiled the STEAM Building on the west side of Frida Kahlo Way, a multi-story facility for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) disciplines.
Another major addition to the campus may be coming soon — The Diego Rivera Theater, a new center for the performing arts.
After the ribbon cutting, students, staff and faculty milled about, taking advantage of the building’s light-filled atrium. Ari Veloro, a third-year digital art major, was sitting with a friend under the main staircase.
“I’ve been here all week,” Veloro said. “It’s good that they have a lot of the stuff in the same area…it’s more accessible this way.”
Veloro’s week consisted of a counseling appointment, a job interview, and time spent at the Queer Resource Center. She never even had to leave the building.
Student Trustee Angelica Campos mentioned the building’s AC functionality could be improved, though she acknowledged the heat could have been due to the packed house.
The campus community already gravitates to the Success Center. As speakers gave their remarks, students seeking resources attempted to enter through the locked doors immediately behind the lectern – with the building's reflective windows, they could not see the event happening inside.
The scene highlighted the building’s immediate impact. The college could not even take two hours for a celebration without students flocking in for resources.
After the remarks concluded and the ribbon was cut, attendees gathered for drinks and refreshment.
“You've been through a lot, folks,” Mandelman said earlier, addressing the crowd. “You deserve a party.”
