Draft Documents

Vision 2030 Master Plan

Endorsed by Facilities Advisory Committee and FMP Task Force on September 16, 2019

During the Spring of 2017, the College of the Desert began to develop a new Facilities Master Plan (FMP) intended to address current and future facility needs on a districtwide basis. The process was designed to be transparent and inclusive. During the Spring of 2017, the College of the Desert began to develop a new Facilities Master Plan (FMP) intended to address current and future facility needs on a districtwide basis. The process was designed to be transparent and inclusive.During the Spring of 2017, the College of the Desert began to develop a new Facilities Master Plan (FMP) intended to address current and future facility needs on a districtwide basis. The process was designed to be transparent and inclusive. During the Spring of 2017, the College of the Desert began to develop a new Facilities Master Plan (FMP) intended to address current and future facility needs on a districtwide basis. The process was designed to be transparent and inclusive. A number of outreach measures were taken including the creation of a Facilities Master Plan website and including an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to make observations and recommendations. Additionally, and more formally, representative stakeholders were identified to participate in committee and work group discussions. This included the formation of a combined Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) and Facilities Master Plan Task Force (Task Force) that worked in conjunction with the normal business of the Facilities Advisory Committee, which is a campus operational committee advising on facility matters. Ultimately, a final draft plan will be shared this Fall with the Task Force, the Facilities Advisory Committee, the Academic Senate leadership and the College Planning Council prior to being taken to the Desert College Board of Trustees for review and approval.

Early in the process, which was facilitated by Cambridge West, a professional planning consultant, there were monthly planning meetings conducted to gather input and ideas, to discuss the planning process, and to measure progress made along the way. The Task Force was charged with disseminating information districtwide and providing feedback to the planning team. In addition to the monthly committee meetings, the planners met with multiple internal stakeholder groups including students, faculty, staff and campus leadership. The information gathered during the stakeholder meetings was compared to the findings originating in enrollment and space inventory data, information documented in the Educational Master Plan (EMP), as well as, findings from the planning team’s analysis of existing facilities and sites, in concert with Institutional Research for data and information involving workload, projections, and regional demographics and work force trends.

The result of this engagement process is an FMP largely driven by the needs identified in the Educational Master Plan and is intended to help guide the District’s major capital planning for the next 10 years, consistent with District priorities. As one of the many legally required plans (CA ADC 51008), the Facility Master Plan takes a global view of the capital resources of the District and begins laying out a plan for future capital development.

A high-level planning approach was taken. The plan does not dictate office locations, or the size of specific room types, or the exact location and size of sites planned for future buildings. Such detailed planning occurs at the time an individual project is under consideration for funding and approval. Detailed program planning for new buildings or remodeled spaces is conducted during the programming and design phase of a project when more informed is available and decisions about capital commitments are being made by the District. The FMP does, however, provide a current perspective for future academic, administrative and support space needs, suggested campus systems improvements (open space and pedestrian circulation, vehicular circulation and parking, infrastructure, etc.) and incorporates projects that are already in the planning or construction phase including those funded locally and/or are waiting to be funded by State Capital Outlay funds in conjunction with the Chancellor’s Office. Projects that fall below the capital outlay cost thresholds. Minor renovations and alterations or minor capital improvement projects are not included in this document. They are, or will be, identified through program review and are often opportunistic based on available funding mechanisms or programs. Nevertheless, smaller projects are important to the success of students and are considered globally during conversations about capital and capital renewal needs in the context of supporting District strategic priorities and its long-range capital plan, including secondary effects all in support of the Educational Master Plan.

As a companion document to the Educational Master Plan, the Facilities Master Plan anticipates the capital needs for the District through the year 2030 and memorializes and institutionalizes facilities related needs based on a snapshot in time. Major findings include:

  • To serve the rapidly growing population of the East Valley, the Indio Center requires an Indio Expansion (in design) and additional adjacent or proximate acreage for other programs and parking on the southern edge of the existing campus to help alleviate parking deficits and to provide space for a new Child Development Center (early planning).

  • Better utilize the Mecca-Thermal facilities in the East Valley by providing selective improvements to best support unique training opportunities, programs and activities.

  • To fully plan and develop the Palm Springs Development Project to better serve the West Valley and provide a regional workforce innovation center that will educate and train students for 21st century jobs and careers in a collaborative, living, learning environment and will focus on signature programs synergistic to the location and boosted by local and regional partnerships that are evolving and expanding (e.g. not-for-profits, educational institutions, and local businesses/initiatives).

  • An expectation that the Palm Desert Campus will continue to focus on reinforcing existing campus planning and the repurposing of its historic core; meeting the needs of students with a new Student Union with improvements, such as centralized food service operation, additional student organizations and student club space; providing new theatre and other teaching spaces for the Visual and Performing Arts; replacing and improving aging athletic facilities; and providing increased general classroom and teaching laboratory space, including renovations to two academic buildings specially to improve their useful life as academic and instructional facilities (Liberal Arts Building and the Science Building).

  • Planning and programming to support Roadrunner Motors automobile and advanced transportation programs in Cathedral City.

Supporting Documents