Development Proposal for Pierce Gains Support

A Pierce College committee has chosen a proposal to develop the school’s open space, a plan that promises to expand the curriculum while lifting Pierce out of a persistent fiscal slump.

The committee selected a plan offered by Eddie Milligan, a developer of equestrian centers, and his associates. The plan includes a golf course and driving range, and new animal science and equine science buildings. The bid offers a veterinary hospital and an indoor arena that could be used for rodeos or animal shows, said David Braun, a Pierce professor who serves on the selection committee.

“This proposal addressed the educational interests of the college,” Braun said. “The other proposals didn’t really address the educational needs of the college as clearly. They just addressed the development of the land.”

Pierce had initially rejected all five bids to develop 240 acres of agricultural land, saying they would not generate revenue quickly enough. College officials later decided to reconsider three proposals in more depth, interviewing those bidders last week.

Braun said Milligan agreed to negotiate ways to bring the college money sooner than the four years that Pierce estimated it would take before the proposals produced any revenue. Milligan has said his plan would generate at least $1 million annually for the college.

The Pierce College Council now will consider the recommendation favoring Milligan’s plan, probably at a Jan. 26 meeting, Braun said. The final decision on whether to lease the land belongs to the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District, who agreed last week to delay consideration of the matter until March.