Ground breaks at AIC's new home

Brian Foster Arizona Daily Wildcat From left, UA President Peter Likins, Associated Students Arizona International Campus President Marco Lopez, and Executive Vice President and Provost Celestino Fern‡ndez perform the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday at the new AIC site at North Cherry Avenue and East Helen Street.

AIC Provost Celestino Fern‡ndez yesterday deemed strong winds and black clouds signs of good luck as he broke ground for the college's new site on the UA's main campus.

"We will take this weather as a sign of good fortune for AIC," said Fern‡ndez, who added that yesterday's weather reminded him of his wedding day when a friend told him clouds were a sign of good fortune.

The ceremony took place on the Zone One parking lot on the southeast corner of North Cherry Avenue and East Helen Street that, come July 1, will house the Arizona International Campus. The branch campus, now located at the Unuversity of Arizona Science and Technology Park, will also change its name to Arizona International College.

"Where we were was too far away for students. Now we will be more connected to the U of A," Barbara Vixsby, an AIC political science professor, said at yesterday's ceremony.

Associated Students of AIC President Marco Lopez said the move will be an interesting experience and a challenge for the college to keep its own identity. He said he is looking forward to having a close community with the UA's staff and facilities.

"We are breaking ground for a new beginning," Lopez said.

The new site, which will be lined with two prefabricated buildings, is 10,000 square feet smaller than AIC's current site. Separate student and faculty buildings will house a computer lab, meeting spaces, offices and a lounge area.

The prefabricated buildings will cut leasing costs from $540,000 per year to about $170,000. Some wiring has already been laid, and landscaping plans have been completed, Fern‡ndez said.

"The move is a great thing," AIC sophomore Yan Yan said. "For one thing, there's complaints about the commute to the other campus - the move will save energy. Another thing is that now we will have use of the U of A facilities."

AIC will also use underutilized classrooms in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Nursing and Pharmacy buildings. AIC students will also have precedence over UA students to live in nearby Babcock Inn, which is operated by the UA's Department of Residence Life.

AIC plans to use the new facilities for the next three to five years and then move to a permanent location.

"This move is a launch for our own identity," Fern‡ndez said. "Once that is established, we will find a permanent site."

At the end of AIC's occupancy, the UA will take over the buildings.