PCC plans return to Rosemead with property purchases

Pasadena City College is moving forward with plans to return to Rosemead with a new satellite campus following the purchase of three properties in the city. 

The Pasadena Area Community College District Board of Trustees authorized the college to purchase several parcels of land in downtown Rosemead at a special meeting on Nov. 29. PCC officially entered escrow on the property in late December.

The properties are across Bentel Avenue from PCC’s former satellite campus on Rosemead Boulevard, which closed in June following the end of a lease agreement with the El Monte Union High School District. PCC’s Rosemead campus had operated for a decade before its closure, and offered as many as 120 courses per semester.

“We are very eager to return to Rosemead with a satellite campus,” said PCC Board of Trustees President Kristine Kwong. “PCC is deeply committed to offering affordable and high-quality education that is accessible to residents across our District. This new site will allow us to reach even more students.” 

Purchasing rather than leasing the properties provides PCC with more freedom on how to use the space to support students. The new Rosemead campus facilities are expected to include classrooms, science and computer labs, and student services offices. The college plans to offer a variety of educational opportunities at the new site. 

The property acquisitions align with PCC’s long-term facilities planning, which calls for expanded satellite locations and student services to support residents across the District and emphasizes the growing demand in Rosemead. Rosemead is located within PCC’s Trustee Area 6, which includes portions of Arcadia, El Monte, Rosemead, San Gabriel, and Temple City.

“This is an achievement that is more than 20 years in the making,” said Trustee John Martin, who represents the area. “With this investment, the residents of Area 6 will have Muscatel Middle School, Rosemead High School, El Monte Adult Education, and now PCC—all within a block of each other. This spectacular development will create an educational nexus that will open doors for our students for generations to come.”

The site will also offer additional opportunities for dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment students at nearby Rosemead High School and outreach opportunities for students at Muscatel Middle School. 

“PCC continues to grow a corridor of opportunity across our District,” said José A. Gómez, interim superintendent/president of PCC. “From PCC Northwest at John Muir High School to our Foothill and Colorado campuses, and soon Rosemead, we are committed to offering even more exceptional educational and career opportunities for students and families across the region.”

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