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 Lost
in the debate about the University’s proposed Campus Pointe project at
Fresno State is an understanding of the economic impact of the
University and the importance of future growth of the University to our
region.
While the University would likely grow in the future without Campus
Pointe, its growth would be much slower which would impact all of us in
the San Joaquin Valley. To remain competitive and to attract the best
faculty and students Fresno State must offer an environment that
features attractive housing, convenient services and the ability to host
major academic events that require first-rate hotel and conference
rooms.
At a time when we are desperately trying to transform our economy and
improve the education of our work force we need a University that is
growing and is dynamic as it serves the region’s economy with powerful
new academic programs.
Change is not easy and it sometimes has seemingly negative consequences
for individual areas. While it is important to minimize negative
consequences it is just as important to recognize offsetting positive
results that yield substantial benefits to the entire community.
Overarching all this is the importance of keeping the future of our
region in mind and promoting the growth of our great University.
Many other universities across the state and nation are providing
faculty with new housing on or near their campuses. Other universities
are working alongside their local communities to provide desirable
shopping, hotel and other services to enhance their university
environment (See example:
UC Davis. Says the
Sacramento Bee -- "With West Village, UC
Davis, like other universities, aims to provide a model for affordable,
responsible development that brings people and venues for myriad
activities together to create thriving communities"). Fresno and Clovis should lead the way as partners with
Fresno State, partners that hold a common goal of a vibrant,
well-planned, and growing economy.
Last year in an analysis of the university’s economic impact on the
region, Professor Anthony Avalos pointed out that the University’s
“$331.45 million in total expenditures in 2004-05 produced a total
impact of $507.05 million in the San Joaquin Valley’s economy.”
His study further indicated that the presence of the University supports
a total of 6,630 jobs and generates more than $43.81 million in tax
revenue to the State of California and the county governments of Fresno,
Madera, Kings and Tulare counties. The University has a major impact on
the region’s economy in addition to producing over 4,000 graduates each
year; two-thirds of those graduates enter the workforce of the San
Joaquin Valley. The Valley needs a better educated work force in the
future and Fresno State needs to be able to grow and keep pace to meet
the region’s needs.
 The University’s Campus Pointe project will provide safe, reasonably
priced housing for students, faculty and staff, housing that is
desperately needed to attract high quality people for which Fresno State
is known. Senior residents will be offered another alternative to
improve the quality of life of the area. With new housing units near the
campus additional services are needed including groceries, convenience
shops and restaurants.
In addition to those services, Campus Pointe will also bring a new high
end hotel to the area to support executive conferences, academic events
and activities at the Save Mart Center. The project will provide
facilities which will allow the University to expand academic offerings
in a number of areas such as gerontology, social work, physical therapy,
hospitality, tourism and related areas.
Campus Pointe will also provide job opportunities for students, in some
cases jobs that are directly related to the students’ education on
campus. These types of facilities have become necessities for many
modern urban universities if they are to grow and expand.
Some have indicated that they would support such a project if the
University sold the land to a private developer who then developed the
land in a similar manner. At first glance that seems to be a reasonable
alternative to consider. However, state law requires that the proceeds
from such a sale would revert to the State of California and not to the
University. Little sense is made in selling property when there is no
benefit to the University or to the residents of Fresno and Clovis.
The Avalos study points out that each student living off campus spends
an average of $9,364 in 2004-05 dollars in the local economy. Thus the
addition of every one hundred students as the result of Campus Pointe
generates nearly $1 million in the local economy.
With an enrollment of 22,000 students, it’s easy to see how the addition
an attractive development like Campus Pointe will draw hundreds of new
students and many new faculty from across the country. All of that new
economic activity will, of course, generate additional tax revenues for
city and county governments. These impacts are significant for our local
economy and our future.
Our university and community should lead the way in innovative projects
that improve the opportunities for higher education. We should move
ahead with the Campus Point Project.
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