The Guarantee Savings building in Downtown Fresno will be purchased for $10.5 million by State Center Community College District. Photo by Edward Smith

State Center Community College District office operations will soon be joining the Downtown Fresno community.

On Tuesday evening, the district board voted 7-0 to purchase the Guarantee Financial building on the newly renovated Fulton Street for $10.5 million, which will come from Measure C bond money, according to a press release from the district.

The move will bring together the community college district’s administrative operations previously housed on both the Fresno City College campus and Clovis Community College campus.

Following the close of escrow, the new location will provide the district with 12 stories and 82,000 square feet of office space, a number of classrooms and a new facility to conduct monthly board meetings, which—previously held on Fresno City College campus—was usually standing room only.

In addition to the Guarantee building, the district will purchase an adjacent 642-stall parking structure that will free up much needed parking space at both the Clovis and Fresno community college locations that currently house district operations.

Once the move is completed, the vacated space on the Fresno campus will open up an area for a new math and science building, also funded by Measure C.

The Guarantee Building, built in 1920, is listed under the local register of historic buildings and derives much of its power from a hydrogen fuel cell that can provide 600 kilowatts of energy and 500,000 Btu of heating energy, according to the federal Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.

Voters approved Measure C back in 2016, which gave the district $485 million in bond money to renovate and build projects across the district’s campuses in Reedley, Fresno, Madera and Oakhurst, as well as a new West Fresno campus on land recently gifted from TFS Investments.

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand, SCCCD Chancellor Paul Parnell, as well as trustees Debbie Ikeda and Miguel Arias will speak on Thursday concerning the matter.