By John R. Adkins
Alberto Vasquez came to the Board of Trustees meeting excited to share the news: the Diego Rivera Theater was only days away from approval by the Division of the State Architect.
On Sept. 25, the Vice Chancellor of Facilities took to the podium and spoke of the recent meetings over the last couple of weeks with the DSA, certain that the green light for the project was only another “meeting or two away.”
Now, one month later, the college is still waiting on that approval.
Meanwhile, music department chair Madeline Mueller has been waiting 60 years for a performing arts center that suits the needs of the college community. And again she’s reminded that she cannot hold her breath.
Mueller said a colleague in the music department searched through DSA’s records to check the status of the Diego Theater and found the approval was “94% completed.”
“I mean, how much longer can they hold out?” Mueller said.
The college cannot finalize its contract with Rudolph and Sletten construction company until they receive approval from the DSA, nor can they schedule the long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony.
However, the college did agree to a guaranteed max price of just over $155 million, which accounted for fluctuations in building material costs due to tariffs.
Runaway Goal Posts
“I can’t remember a time that I haven’t heard Mr. Vasquez say there’s a delay in this or that, and I’m hearing for the first time we’re really, really close,” music teacher Harry Bernstein said during the September board meeting.
Although apparently premature, Mueller presented necklaces with small shovels on them to be passed around at the meeting. The necklaces were commissioned by Michael Adams, a member of the City College advocacy group Higher Education Action Team (HEAT), back in 2017, and Mueller has worn hers around her neck off and on ever since.
When former Chancellor Mark Rocha was at the helm, plans for an earlier iteration of the Diego Rivera Theater passed through the DSA’s office, which led to the creation of the necklaces in preparation for the then-anticipated groundbreaking ceremony.
“The irony is that this project in some form or another has been through DSA twice already with the same designers,” Mueller said. “But there was always something that happened with the school, or the money got weird, it was always something.”Speculations surrounding the most recent delay all point back to the 30-ton, Diego Rivera mural needing to be permanently secured to its stands in the public building.
“Yes, the free-standing mural could make you a little nervous, because if it did fall, [DSA] would be the ones liable,” Mueller said.“Maybe it’s Tuesday. Maybe it’s next month. Maybe it’s next year,” she sighed. “But I can’t be negative this time. It’s gotta happen.”
This project would benefit the students, the college and the community. It would provide fabulous education in the arts. It would create wonderful opportunities for the college to connect with the community through performances and exhibits. There are no down sides to this. Get it built!