Saddleback College’s ongoing role as a leader in education innovation accelerated again March 1 with the groundbreaking ceremony for the Saddleback@ATEP facility in Tustin.
Saddleback@ATEP, the Advanced Technology Education Park, is part of the SOCCCD’s partnership with the City of Tustin to develop education-oriented and general business office use space on the 61.4-acre complex, which includes the adjacent Irvine Valley College School of Integrated Design, Engineering and Automation (IDEA), where the ceremony was held.
President Stern welcomed nearly 125 attendees, which included South Orange County Community College District Chancellor Dr. Julianna Barnes, Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs Ann-Marie Gabel, and multiple members of the SOCCCD Board of Trustees, including Vice President Terri Rydell, Board Clerk Carolyn Inmon, and Board Members Ryan Dack, Barbara J. Jay, Marcia Milchiker, and T.J. Prendergast III. Also in attendance were representatives from Saddleback, IVC, the City of Tustin, Congresswoman Young Kim’s office, architecture firm Gensler, and contractor partners Swinerton Construction and Bernards.
“We’ve been working on fulfillment of this dream of our new second home in Tustin for a long time, so we can transform the lives of more students on an innovative campus.” President Stern said. “This facility represents what Saddleback is all about – innovation.”
Expected to be completed in Fall 2024 and open for instruction in January 2025, Saddleback@ATEP will be nearly 50,000 sq. ft. and the home of cutting-edge Saddleback programs in logistics, Culinary Arts, and the Advanced Automotive program. The Culinary Arts space plan includes three restaurant-quality kitchens and a public restaurant, while Advanced Automotive students will benefit from state-of-the-art laboratories.
Dr. Barnes spoke on the importance of the SOCCCD and City of Tustin’s partnership to make the best use of the ATEP land, which was formerly part of the Marine Corps Air Station Tustin.
“We have great respect for the foundation of this site,” Dr. Barnes said. “All the elements came together, one step at a time, to bring Saddleback@ATEP to fruition.”
Wednesday’s rain and gloom subsided just long enough to enable President Stern, Chancellor Barnes, Vice President Rydell, Vice Chancellor Gabel, Board Clerk Inmon, and Board Members Dack, Jay, Milchiker, and Prendergast III to don hardhats and pick up gleaming shovels for the ceremonial groundbreaking.
PICTURED ABOVE, L-R: Trustee Marcia Milchiker, Trustee T.J. Prendergast III, Trustee Ryan Dack, Saddleback President Dr. Elliot Stern, SOCCCD Chancellor Dr. Julianna Barnes, Trustee Carolyn Inmon, Trustee Dr. Terri Whitt, Trustee Dr. Barbara Jay, Vice Chancellor/Business Services Ann-Marie Gabel