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Press Contact:
Cisco DeVries
(510) 981-7103

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2003

Contact:  Cisco DeVries, Office of Mayor Bates, 510-981-7103
                 Jeff Heyman, Peralta College District, 510-466-7369

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2003

VISTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND CITY REACH TENTATIVE SETTLEMENT ON NEW DOWNTOWN BERKELEY CAMPUS

 City Council and Peralta Board approve deal to clear way for construction of new Vista campus. City to move out of Customer Service Center building by 
November 1^st.

 Berkeley, CA – Months of negotiations between the City and the Board of Trustees of the Peralta Community College District over the new Vista Community College campus ended successfully last night when the Peralta Board voted to accept a compromise settlement.  The Berkeley City Council approved a similar settlement in closed session on Monday.

Avoiding a costly court battle, the deal between the City and the College District paves the way for construction to begin late this year on the new campus in downtown Berkeley.  In the tentative settlement, the City pledges to move its Customer Service Center and other staff offices from a building currently occupying the new Vista site by November 1^st in exchange for $350,000 in moving expenses from the College District. 

“I am pleased that we were able to reach a compromise that allows Vista to get underway with its wonderful new campus,” said Mayor Bates, who helped negotiate the deal.  “It was a difficult road, but in the end, we protected City services and the City budget without delaying construction.”

The Peralta Community College Board, which is close to securing the funding necessary for the $65 million, 112,000 square foot facility, voted unanimously in favor of the settlement.

 “I appreciate how hard Mayor Bates and city staff worked with us to find an agreement on this,” said Peralta Community College District Trustee Darryl Moore. “I think the unanimous vote from the Peralta Board indicates that we believe this is a good compromise and we are ready to move on and start building a new campus.”

 A final agreement must still be drawn up and the final language approved by both parties.  It is expected that the settlement can be finalized in the next few weeks.

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