Community resources
Board of trustees updates
February 3, 2020, De Anza Events Center Update
December 2, 2019, Community Benefit Initiative/Flint Center Replacement Update
November 4, 2019, Community Benefit Initiative Update
October 7, 2019, Community Benefit Initiative Timeline
September 9, 2019, Community Benefit Initiative Update
August 5, 2019, Community Benefit Initiative Update
July 8, 2019 Community Benefit Initiative Update
COMMUNITY BENEFIT INITIATIVE TOWN HALL
11/12/19 AT 4:00 P.M. - DE ANZA COLLEGE, HINSON CAMPUS CENTER, CONFERENCE ROOMS A AND B (UPPER LEVEL)
Employees, students, and and other interested community members are invited to attend the Community Benefit Initiative Town Hall to learn about the timeline and action plan for replacing the Flint Center and initial concepts for the new facility. Free parking will be available in lots A and B. To view the action plan presented at the October 7, 2019, Board of Trustees meeting, click HERE. To view a map of De Anza College, click HERE.
Board action on Flint Center
Message sent to faculty and staff from the chancellor, June 11, 2019
Dear colleagues,
Yesterday evening, after carefully considering the testimony of 38 student, faculty and public speakers, the Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees voted 4-1 to permanently close the Flint Center and initiate a plan to build a new facility that will better serve students, meet community needs for cultural venue and meeting space to the greatest extent possible, and provide an income stream. The board also directed staff to bring an action plan to the October 7, 2019, board meeting. The action plan will identify timelines and milestones leading to the preparation of multiple site development proposals for the board’s consideration by the end of calendar year 2020. Thereafter, staff will bring monthly progress reports to the board to allow for ongoing oversight and review of progress, including identification of potential funding sources.
We look forward to using the next year for gathering input from students, employees, and the public. Thus far, it is clear that there is overwhelming support for a flexible space that could host district and community events beyond the capacity of De Anza’s Visual and Performing Arts Center (400 seats) and Foothill’s Smithwick Theatre (941seats). This need will be a key component in initial conceptual designs.
We will continue updating the district website related to the Flint Center and have posted a link to the results of the Flint online survey as of June 10. Shortly after the October 7 board meeting, we will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the action plan. Additionally, progress reports on the action plan will be a standing item for Chancellor’s Advisory Council.
Our students spoke eloquently at last night’s meeting, reminding us that they also
are members of the larger community. They called upon the board to work to meet the
needs of all community members while giving priority to student success.
Let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude for all the great work you do as manifested by these students and the many student accomplishments we are celebrating throughout the month. Thank you so much for your heartfelt contributions to our students’ success!
Warm regards,
Judy
SURVEY RESULTS
The results are in from the community survey that sought input about the Flint Center's
future for the Board of Trustees meeting of June 10, 2019. Here is a link to the results: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-N37FV7HZV/
Posted June 11, 2019
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SURVEY NOW CLOSED
The Flint Center for the Performing Arts at De Anza College is in need of major renovation
or replacement. The Board of Trustees of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District
is seeking community input regarding the future of the facility, which will be discussed
at the board's June 10 meeting. Please read the important background information on this page and submit your comments by June 7, 2019.
The June 10 Board of Trustees meeting will be held at Foothill College, which is located at 12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills. Discussion of the Flint Center (agenda item 1) will take place in the Dining Room (Room 2201) at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting is available HERE.
FLINT CENTER COMMUNITY COMMENT FORM
Use the scroll bar to complete the community comment form in the box below or click here.
Background Information for Survey
Flint Center for the Performing Arts is located along Stevens Creek Boulevard on the
De Anza College campus. Opened in 1971, the theater seats approximately 2,400. Flint
Center is no longer used for instruction by the college. Instead instruction takes
place in the college’s newer and smaller Visual and Performing Arts Center, which
also hosts cultural performances and community events and houses De Anza’s Euphrat
Museum of Art. Earlier this year the district suspended Flint Center programming for
2019-20 because of structural safety concerns. (See Q&A below.)
A recent assessment study of the Flint Center’s condition identified extensive needs for maintenance, repair, renovation, and replacement. Fully addressing all recommended structural, fire/life safety, and accessibility issues is estimated to cost a minimum of $49.6 million. This amount includes hard construction costs and a variety of contingencies. You can view the details and study results here: http://go.boarddocs.com/ca/fhda/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BBR2SC82EF40
The assessment study identifies maintenance, repair, renovation, and replacement needs. The cost of fully addressing all the recommended structural, fire/life safety, and accessibility issues is estimated at a minimum of $49.6 million.The assessment resulted in a series of recommendations that can be summarized as three main options:
(1) Renovate the Flint Center at a minimum cost of $49.6 million. Due to its age, the Flint Center requires significant maintenance and upgrades and does not conform to current accessibility standards. In addition to building maintenance needs such as a new roof, fire alarm system and structural strengthening, the district needs to meet accessibility requirements that include improvements such as the addition of a center row, restroom modifications and significant changes to paths of travel.
(2) Mothball the building at an estimated cost of $28,000 a month. Closing down the facility while making a determination of the building’s future carries
a cost burden as facility systems will need to be regularly operated and the building’s
condition evaluated on a scheduled basis. In addition, basic maintenance such as roof
repair and painting would need to be completed in the event the decision was made
to reopen the building.
(3) Tear down and replace the existing facility. Replacement ideas that have been suggested thus far by a variety of individuals and
groups include:
- Employee housing
- Student housing
- Daily rental units
- A conference center with 1200-1500 seats
- Event space that cannot currently be accommodated by Conference Rooms A&B in the Hinson Campus Center
- Space for the De Anza Associated Student Body that would allow the repurposing of their current council chambers and student offices
The above list is neither exhaustive nor predictive of the board's final action. Should
the board direct staff to explore the "tear down and replace" option, the district
would seek extensive input from our internal and external stakeholders in order to shape proposals that satisfy
multiple priorities. Additionally, the presentation of any specific proposals to the
board would not necessarily result in adoption as evidenced by the Board of Trustees'
rejection of housing/retail/office proposals related to the Flint Center garage renovations in 2015.
A third-party vendor operates the Flint Center under contract with the district. A
2015 feasibility study indicated that the theater is occupied between 17% and 24% of the year. The feasibility
study concluded that there is insufficient market demand in the region for a theater
of the Flint Center’s size. (See http://go.boarddocs.com/ca/fhda/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=A22KDS5168CF)
Posted May 15, 2019, and updated May 23, 2019, and June 6, 2019
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FACT SHEET - FLINT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Why does the district need to suspend programming at the Flint Center for the Performing
Arts at this time?
The district needs to determine the structural safety of the building before booking performances for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2019, and ends June 30, 2020. If the district entered into contractual agreements for 2019-20 performances, it could face substantial financial and legal risks that could result from an the unplanned closure of the theater. Scheduled performances would have to be cancelled if the report indicated a serious public safety risk.
In addition, the one-year suspension of programming will allow for a thorough review of the building’s renovation/repair needs and community participation in discussion of the Flint Center’s future.
What steps are being taken to assess the Flint Center’s structural condition?
Concern about the Flint Center’s condition dates back to 2014 assessments that identified several structural issues that would need attention in the future. These included points of potential failure that could impede quick exit by occupants after an earthquake, water ponding on the roof, exposed rebar, and cracks in the concrete.
These findings followed the district’s unexpected discovery of serious seismic safety issues at the Flint Center parking garage that needed immediate attention. After studying a variety of options, the district invested approximately $33.5 million in retrofitting the garage, with construction beginning in summer 2016. Costs included architectural and engineering services, project management, testing, investigation, and inspection as well as construction.
Since the assessment of the Flint Center theater building indicated a generally safe condition, the district delayed a more detailed assessment until a later time. In the fall of 2018, the district began the steps to commission a new study of the building’s condition and asked the management company that operates the Flint Center to delay programming for 2019-20 until the assessment was completed.
The district expected that the assessment report would be finished in February, which still would have allowed time for the management company to move forward with 2019-20 bookings. Regrettably, there was an unplanned delay in commissioning the report. This occurred during a period of management transition, and the delay did not come to light until early this year. As a result, the condition assessment cannot be completed before the 2019-20 booking window closes.
What will happen to Celebrity Forum?
With the one-year suspension of programming, Foothill College will not offer Celebrity Forum for the 2019-20 season.
When will the new condition assessment report be finished? What will it cover?
The district does not expect the report to be completed earlier than April. The assessment includes a comprehensive evaluation of the building including structural components and fire and life safety systems such as alarms, sprinklers, signage and signaling as well as accessibility.
Why didn’t you wait for the new report before making this decision?
The operator of the Flint Center would need to move forward now to book performances for 2019-20 and cannot wait for the report in April, which is well beyond the booking window. The district and the Board of Trustees acted out of concern for public safety as well as the district’s potential liability if it had to cancel a year’s worth of scheduled programming if significant safety concerns issues are discovered in the assessment.
Board members have a fiduciary duty to act prudently and protect the district’s assets. The district does not want to take the legal risk involved in cancelling a year or more of contractual agreements, which could expose it to substantial financial losses. If the Flint Center assessment finds substantial structural safety issues, the Board of Trustees is prepared to suspend programming in the Flint Center before June 30, 2019.
How will the district decide what happens to the Flint Center after the assessment is completed?
The Board of Trustees will have a public discussion of the assessment's findings and determine subsequent actions. The public will be kept informed and is welcome to participate. We anticipate that this meeting will occur on May 6.
Could Measure C bond funds be available to renovate the Flint Center once we know what it needs?
Most of the Measure C bond funds approved by district voters in 2006 have been spent or are committed to other projects. While the district used some Measure C funds to renovate and upgrade the Flint Center parking garage, certificates of participation became the primary funding source after project costs escalated because of the extensive seismic retrofitting required. The scope of the seismic retrofitting was not included in Measure C budgeting because the full cost wasn’t known at the time.
Any renovation costs associated with the Flint Center theater building are still unknown. The new condition assessment that is now underway will be the first step in determining the extent of what may be needed.
How many performances are there a year at Flint Center for the Performing Arts?
There were 80 events at the Flint Center in 2017-18, including rehearsals.
How does De Anza College use the Flint Center?
Although it occupies a prominent spot on the De Anza campus, the college has not used the Flint Center for instruction for many years. The theater is run for the district under contract and focuses on programming for the broader community.
Did the district ever consider tearing down Flint Center and putting international
student housing on that spot?
In 2015, as it wrestled with addressing the Flint Center parking structure’s extensive seismic problems, the district commissioned a feasibility study to examine opportunities for public-private ventures in the areas occupied by the parking structure and Flint Center. Student housing was mentioned as a possible area of exploration in the consultant's initial proposal, but trustees expressed reservations and the concept was not pursued any further. The completed feasibility study presented seven options, two of which included a small number of college-affiliated housing units intended as employee transitional housing as part of larger developments. However, the governing board ultimately rejected those proposals and voted to fully renovate and seismically retrofit the parking garage and maintain the Flint Center as a theater.
Citing the limited availability of land for building on campus, the 2016 De Anza College Facilities Master Plan identified the site occupied by the Flint Center as a possible future location for a new arts complex to replace old arts classrooms next door. Chancellor Judy Miner has said that she does not support this proposal.
When was the Flint Center built?
Construction began in 1969 and the Flint Center opened in 1971. It is a five-story concrete building housing an auditorium with 2,300 seats, a stage with fly tower, and back-of-the-house facilities for theater and performance support.
What upgrades has the district made to Flint Center?
The theater’s sound system was upgraded in 2003, seating was replaced in 2002, and the lobby was expanded, which included a restroom upgrade, in 1999.
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Posted Feb. 5, 2019