Overview:
The State Community College District’s monthly Trustee meeting saw the Board agree to a partnership with Texas-based developer Servitas toward a 360-unit student housing development on the Fresno City College Campus.
The Trustees chose Servitas’ on-campus option over a proposal for an off-campus option in the city’s downtown.
The developer and District still need to accumulate funds to finish the project.
The State Center Community College District Board Of Trustees unanimously approved a deal on Tuesday for an ambitious new development that district leaders hope will end their years-long journey to build a 360-unit student housing project on the Fresno City College campus.
Texas-based developer Servitas was chosen out of a finalist pool of three developers. The three groups presented their proposals to a panel of Fresno City College staff, SCCCD administrators, an independent consultant and a member of the City of Fresno Planning and Development Department.
Servitas was the only developer in the finalist pool to propose a site on the Fresno City College campus and who had experience developing student housing.
Among the pool of finalists was the Noyan Company, led by Mehmet Noyan, who proposed an off-campus housing development in downtown Fresno, neighboring Chukchansi Park. A third proposal came from Fresno-based UpHoldings, an affordable housing developer with recent projects along Blackstone Avenue and in Clovis.
The District strongly preferred an on-campus student housing project, as the option aligned with their goals on “inclusion, student support and campus vibrancy.” If options for an off-campus project had been entertained, the District also would have preferred the site to be within a 2-mile radius of the campus.
The decision to forgo Noyan’s proposal is a loss for the City of Fresno, which has struggled to attract residents to help revitalize the downtown neighborhoods, despite efforts from elected leaders
“I look at things from, what really is in the best interest of our students?” said Trustee Deborah J. Ikeda at the hearing. “Although I can appreciate wanting to build downtown, that is not the role of the community college. Our role is to provide the best service we can to our students.”
Planning for the proposed development began in 2022 following the District’s acquisition of a $34.1 million state grant.
Tuesday’s decision enters the District into a pre-development agreement with Servitas. The developer will still need to conduct a feasibility study for their proposal, which is expected to cost the District $215,000 and take about five months to complete. The developer will also partner with the District to find additional money to complete the development.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be around $94 million, coming in around $261,000 per bed, according to the District’s report. The report states that the cost is in line with similar proposals from around the state, which have penciled closer to $300,000 per bed.
To close the funding gap, the District has asked for an additional $45 million grant from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and Department Of Finance, with State Center kicking in another $15 million.
The agreement leaves room for both parties to leave if the proposal is not feasible, and a new development agreement will need to be agreed upon before construction begins.
If after the feasibility study comes back, and both parties are satisfied with the project plans, they will need to enter into another development agreement to begin breaking ground. SCCCD’s Interim Chancellor Andy Dunn said at the meeting that a development agreement can be expected to be introduced in early 2026.
Boosters fail to convince board on downtown student housing
Multiple people spoke in favor of Noyan’s downtown proposal, including CEO of the Downtown Fresno Partnership Elliott Balch.
“Our downtown is ready to welcome and accommodate students,” Balch said. “But…anytime we have the opportunity to engage young people — the downtown professional community, networks — there is so much value in bringing folks into this environment.”
Jeff Isenstadt, president of JCI Development and co-applicant on the Noyan proposal, told the board the downtown project would come in at a cost of only $51 million and supply 412 beds — math that the District’s panel called “aggressive.”
“These numbers have not only been vetted by our team, but our banks, and the city, and our architects and engineers,” Isenstadt said. “We will be prepared to move forward if given the opportunity.”
It was revealed during the presentation that the downtown project would have land gifted to it by the city — who currently owns the site, although the Fresno City Council would have to grant final approval.
Noyan’s group has been working with the city for nearly a decade to try to bring housing to the downtown site, a parking lot at Fulton and Inyo Streets – but has struggled to find financing to get the project across the finish line.
Noyan, echoing the goals of the City and Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, said during public comment that the project would be a boon for a struggling downtown.
“The current city administration has made it very clear that they are looking for housing in the downtown corridor,” Noyan said. “The mayor, one of his biggest platforms, it’s very unequivocal, he wants to see housing in downtown.”
He later added, “I cannot imagine a better jumpstart for the downtown housing goals than what we’re looking at.”
Board Vice President Robert A. Fuentes thanked Dyer for the concessions and proposal received for the new housing, but also ultimately supported the Servitas project.
The Trustees said an on-campus project would be most convenient for students. When presented with the options, the Board’s Student Trustee Haiden Del Fierro said, “obviously as a student, you probably know which way I’m going to lean with that one.”
Following Tuesday’s vote, Balch told Fresnoland that he respected the Board’s decision and said he hopes to continue to be partners to increase housing, including student housing, in downtown.
“I totally respect the trustees,” Balch said. “The District is serving students first and foremost.
“I think that downtowns are places that offer a lot of opportunities, and so that’s why we are continuing to think that it’s a great place for more and more residents of all kinds, including students.”
