Cuesta College Planning to Build New South SLO County Campus in Old Arroyo Grande Pharmacy
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) - Cuesta College is planning to build a long-envisioned new campus in South San Luis Obispo County at the site of now-closed Arroyo Grande pharmacy.
"We are very excited that we have had the opportunity to acquire the former Rite Aid property at 1650 Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande," said Dr. Jill Stearns, Cuesta College Superintendent/President. "It really appears to be not only a location, but a building that is going to very well align with the needs of Cuesta College as we design instruction for our South County."
The site of the property is at the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Oak Park Boulevard, one of the busiest intersection located within the Five Cities.
The Rite Aid pharmacy closed last summer as part of the national chain's bankruptcy process, which forced the company to shut down all of its more 1,000 stores across the country.
"The building is a perfect shell with four solid walls and not a lot of structure inside of that," said Stearns. "It's really well suited for redesign. Our Board of Trustees has made it very clear that they want this South County campus to have the same standards that our North County campus and San Luis Obispo campuses have, so the building will not only be beautiful, it will also be loaded with technology and very forward thinking in the planning and design."
Cuesta College recently closed escrow on the property and now must go through an approval process with the City of Arroyo Grande before construction can begin.
"We are really looking forward to partnering with the city, and that ensuring that our overall design fits with their planning, and within what already exists," said Stearns. "We have already had our team in the space assessing, taking a look at what exists. We are now in the process of identifying a construction and project manager for that and then we will be identifying an architect. The next step in our process with the City of Arroyo Grande is providing a rendering of the external facade, so that we can take that for their review and consideration before any further planning."
Stearns is hopeful the new campus will be open for classes by January 2029.
"It's incredible excitement," said Stearns. "It is all about expanding opportunity, and in particular, opportunity that aligns with the needs and desires of our South County residents. We really want to bring to them the opportunity to access instruction, access services across the day and into the evening, so this is what we are excited to be able to bring to the South County."
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
