West Hills College District celebrates Firebaugh's North District Center groundbreaking

The groundbreaking ceremony featured guest speakers, including elected officials and city and college leaders.

“Our children deserve the same chances right here in Firebaugh as they do throughout the rest of the state,” said California State Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula. “I anticipate, over time, we will see this community continue to develop.”

The groundbreaking event took place on the lot where the new 41,263 square foot center will be built. The new center will feature classrooms, labs, library, and office space as well as a new Fresno County library and field office for the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The facility will replace the current 11,764 square foot center.

 Other speakers included West Hills Community College District Board of Trustees President Mark McKean; Brian Pacheco, Fresno County Board of Supervisors; Felipe Perez, Mayor of Firebaugh; Gilbert Coelho, chairperson of the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee; Phil Larson, WHCCD Foundation board member; and Brenda Thames, West Hills College Coalinga president. The Firebaugh High School Choir sang the National Anthem.

“If no campus existed here, most of these students wouldn’t be attending college, so improving the facilities for these students is a high priority,” said Supervisor Brian Pacheco.

McKean, speaking for the district’s board of trustees, lauded the latest expansion. “This is a true game-changer,” he said. “This is for the many, many students who are able to walk to this campus and get an education who otherwise would have said ‘you know I can’t do this, I can’t take this step.’ When you come to this campus, it’s a breath of fresh air to see students taking advantage of this campus.”

The current timeline for the project is a two-year construction period, with the center opening in 2022.