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SAN DIEGO—Most community colleges will not have the capital to invest in new real estate and will have to repurpose existing real estate assets, San Diego Community College District's vice chancellor facilities management Christopher Manis tells GlobeSt.com. The district recently celebrated the grand opening of the new $58-million César E. Chávez Campus in Barrio Logan, a region of San Diego, which features 22 new classrooms, laboratories and more. Also, SDCCD was recently honored by the Green California Schools & Community Colleges for its extensive efforts at conserving energy. We spoke exclusively with Manis about the new campus and how community colleges are doing more to attract students and stay current.

GlobeSt.com: What stands out for you the most about the new Cesar E. Chavez campus?

Manis: It is a beautiful building that is a great addition to the Barrio Logan area. It complements the other new construction in the area.

GlobeSt.com: As private colleges and universities become financially out of range for many families and more students are choosing community colleges for their general education, what is happening to community colleges' real estate needs?

Manis: For the San Diego Community College District, we were fortunate enough to have been able to purchase additional real estate to expand our City College and Continuing Education campuses, but most growth in the District was accomplished on existing real estate. Most community colleges will not have the capital to invest in new real estate and will have to repurpose existing real estate assets.

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GlobeSt.com: What changes are you noticing in what these schools provide students in terms of real estate?

Manis: If the question is what do the new buildings provide the student, then I would say they receive a great education in a state-of-the-art facility that is comparable to or better than what they would receive at a traditional four-year institution.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the new buildings?

Manis: They are sustainable buildings built to meet LEED Silver, which by design makes them about 20% more efficient. The recent building improvements have been funded through two bonds: Props S and N.