Hartnell College Foundation announces purchase partnership of National Steinbeck Center
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Hartnell announced they are working to finalize the purchase of the National Steinbeck Center after Cal State Monterey Bay put the building up for sale last year. For the last ten years, CSUMB has owned the building where the National Steinbeck Center sits. Now under Hartnell’s ownership and a new name, “One Main Street” will become home to new educational programs.
“The establishment of One Main Street brings students to the city center, which just immerses students in the culture of local business and surrounds them with the works of John Steinbeck in this area that we call home,” says Leonard Batti, Vice President of Taylor Farms.
CSUMB staff say they had offers from other potential buyers, but their mission was to find someone who would work with the center.
“And it makes sense to find a partner that will continue the education of the future, of our future, which is our students,” says Vanya Quiñones, CSUMB President. “So workforce development is important for the economic strength of Salinas and the whole region and county.”
Quiñones adds that the center's distance from CSUMB's main campus made it difficult to operate the building. She says they found the solution at Hartnell. The community college will make the purchase fifty-fifty with the National Steinbeck Center.
Jackie Cruz, executive director at Hartnell College, says, “final details on the transaction will be public when we close escrow. We anticipate closing escrow at best best-case scenario on July 15th, at the worst-case scenario on July 30th.
Hartnell’s vision plans to partner with local organizations to foster the education of our community right in the heart of Old Town Salinas.
“We envision this center to be a mechanism where people come together, people, organizations, and the community come together to create innovative opportunities, innovative jobs, and innovative initiatives around education or workforce, and economic development,” adds Jackie Cruz.
She adds Hartnell is in negotiations to create a local kitchen incubator that will also partner with local schools to provide meals to their students. The sale terms and costs will be finalized by both parties in the next few weeks. Hartnell also plans to create a biotech lab, paving the way for education in an emerging industry.
