A little more than a year ago, College of the Canyons reached an agreement with Intertex to build out a nearly $20 million center for career technical education.
On Wednesday, Eric Harnish, spokesman for the college, confirmed that the contract between the two parties is currently “under review,” seemingly putting the plan for a permanent Advanced Technology Center in doubt.
A representative for Intertex, a Valencia-based developer, did not return a request for comment on Tuesday or Wednesday. A call to the main office on Wednesday was sent to a voicemail.
The center was meant to be built on a 3.78-acre site located at 26650 Valley Center Drive, southwest of Valley Center Drive and Golden Valley Road, according to the May 10, 2023, Santa Clarita Community College District board of trustees agenda item. The item was approved unanimously by the board, which oversees the college.
According to the contract included with the agenda item, the center had an expected completion date of May 2025.
That site is currently owned by Intertex as of October 2023, with an assessed property value of approximately $5.2 million. Prior to that, the land was owned by VBC 3 Investors, which is affiliated with Aspen Management, which has offices in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys.
According to the agenda item, the facility was meant to be paid for using Measure E funds. Measure E is a $230 million general obligation bond approved by Santa Clarita Valley voters in 2016.
Harnish wrote Wednesday in an email that COC “remains committed to moving forward with building a permanent Advanced Technology Center where students can receive the high-tech, hands-on training that will prepare them for rewarding careers with local companies.”
He added that the board of trustees will receive an update at a future meeting if there are any changes to the contract. The next board meeting is set for Aug. 14.
Prior to the board approving the deal, Harnish told The Signal that the center would be an “off-site facility that will train students in advanced manufacturing, CNC (machining), welding, fabrication and construction technologies.”
The facility would specialize in those types of programs, as well as house the large equipment necessary to run those programs, he added.
“It’s an exciting project and there’s growing demand for skilled employees in these career fields,” Harnish previously told The Signal. “The college is excited to move forward with these programs to meet the needs of local employers and create opportunities for students to gain the skills that lead to rewarding careers.”
The location of the proposed site is centrally located between the college’s Valencia and Canyon Country campuses, board member Joan MacGregor said prior to the board approving the deal.
“Many students want to go to the college, get a certificate, and a degree in some cases … and be trained in a specific area — so that they can improve their work skills, maybe currently with their employer or maybe go out and train in a new field — so to me, that is a big emphasis,” she said at the time.
A temporary center is in place at 23606 Diamond Place, off of Centre Point Parkway. That center was partially paid for using $1 million in federal funding secured by Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, through a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package passed by Congress, according to a COC news release.
An additional $5 million in federal funding was secured through the $1.7 trillion omnibus package signed by President Joe Biden in December 2022. Garcia and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, along with then-Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, were responsible for getting that funding to help purchase equipment required to providing high-quality training in robotic automation production, non-destructive inspections of aircraft and firefighting, according to a COC news release.