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After more than 30 years of struggle for a home of their own, Vista College officials acknowledge their new campus set to rise in downtown Berkeley is a victim of bad timing. 

A series of voter approved state and regional construction bonds are in place to build the estimated $65 million, six-story campus at 2050 Center St. by January 2006.  

But with state and community college coffers too bare to boost enrollment or personnel, Vista officials fear the school’s new home could be lacking in three essential elements: Students, staff and supplies. If money can’t be found to outfit the building—a growing possibility since a dispute with the city has temporarily cost the district the support of Mayor Tom Bates—Peralta would consider renting out parts of the facility for which Vista boosters have fought for decades. 

“The building is going to be overbuilt, our goal is to grow into it,” said Tom Smith, Associate Chancellor for Budget for the Peralta Community College District, which counts Vista as one of its four member schools. 

That strategy has some union officials concerned that Vista—historically the black sheep of the district—will be shortchanged on staffing and equipment needed to keep the building from quickly falling into disrepair. 

“We haven’t seen evidence there’s a plan for how they’re going to operate it,” said Michael Mills, president of the Peralta Federation of Teachers.  

Vista’s new home was supposed to allow for some growth. With a planned capacity for 8,000 full and part-time students, it allows Vista to nearly double its current 4,500-strong student body that now takes classes at several downtown office buildings rented by the district. 

But recent budget shortfalls have forced the state to cap enrollments at community colleges, meaning Vista could go years with empty classrooms. 

“We’re denying access to students as we speak,” Smith said, estimating the district rejected 3,000 qualified students last semester because the state refused money to subsidize their education. He anticipated enrollments to increase just 1.5 percent this year. 

Vista’s building woes took a sharp turn for the worse last week when Berkeley withheld construction permits to start excavation at the site, scheduled to begin last Monday. Mayor Bates said the city won’t issue the permits —costing Peralta $2,500 per day in contractor fees—until the two sides agree on parking mitigation costs for the new building, which Peralta puts at $3.6 million and the city says is closer to $6 million. 

Two months ago the city upped its price from $3.6 million for the estimated 208 spaces needed to serve the building after studies showed that demolishing and rebuilding an expanded Center Street garage would cost $18 million. Attorneys for Peralta are determining if Berkeley can deny Peralta the permits. 

Peralta’s finances are in no better shape than the state’s. Last year, in the face twin budget cuts totaling $3 million, Peralta opted to dip into its cash reserves and admit 2,200 more full-time students than the roughly 19,000 subsidized by the state. The district has since whittled that down to about 1,400, but Smith said those students would cost Peralta $5.4 million extra this year. 

Peralta’s financial straits has Vista officials concerned that once their new building opens they will lose the $1 million Peralta pays to rent Vista’s current facilities. Vista President John Garmon said he hasn’t broached the topic with Peralta officials, but he is worried that without at least some of the money, he would be forced to scale back on support staff for the new building. “Ideally we’d like six full-time custodians, but we’re hoping for about two or three,” he said. 

Vista’s new building could also face an equipment shortage. Vista’s bonds only pay for construction costs, and with the state providing just $2.1 million for essentials like desks, tables and lab equipment, Vista has started a fundraising drive to collect an additional $2.1 million to outfit the building. 

But the co-chair of the fundraising drive, Mayor Bates, has ceased all activities on behalf of the school until the parking mitigation suit is settled. 

Garmon said if Vista fails to raise enough money, it would have to use old equipment at their current sites, seek corporate sponsorship for science or multi-media programs or float a new bond. 

Vista officials are sensitive to any perceived slights against them by the district after years of seeing the bulk of district resources allocated to other schools. The new building is rooted in the “de-annexation” movement started in 1995. At the time, Vista advocates, including Bates, accused Peralta of underfunding the college and threatened to leave the district. A settlement signed in 1998 included pledges for the new building and the addition of two full-time teachers every year for ten years to compensate for past neglect. 

The district hasn’t settled on a plan to deal with empty space at the new building. Garmon expected to fill some of the gaps by borrowing staff from other Peralta colleges, while Smith anticipated renting spaces on the third or fourth floors to outside public agencies, like UC or the city. UC spokesperson Christine Shaff said it was “too early” for the university to consider renting space from Vista.