New Construction & Empty Campus in Garland

The Richland College Campus in Garland

We wonder, as we drive past the lovely building on Walnut and Glenbrook, why there aren’t more cars in the parking lot. On their recent visit to the City Council during one of their work sessions, spokesmen for Dallas County Community College District [DCCCD] stated that this was their most profitable campus, and presented each council member with a catalog of available classes. The council members seemed to be duly impressed, but I was curious and just a bit skeptical.

When Anita Goebel, Councilwoman for District 2, asked why there were so few cars in the parking lot, she was told that most of their classes are held “off campus.” Quite an interesting arrangement.

Yesterday, a friend inquired about conducting art classes at the campus and was informed that a classroom would be made available for $40 per hour. That information was not disclosed during the DCCCD presentation to our city council. The Richland College Campus in Garland rents classroom space to instructors who wish to teach classes, so it is functioning more as a rental facility than a traditional college. This business model is apparently more profitable for DCCCD than that of their other campuses. I guess the question remains: is the Richland College Campus in Garland a rental facility or a college? Moreover, was constructing this beautiful building so it can remain vacant a smart investment for Garland? The world may never know…

Downtown Construction

The 150-plus unit apartment complex under construction in downtown Garland seems to have popped up overnight. It dwarfs the Granville Arts Center, which is immediately adjacent. The apartments and enclosed parking facility cover the ground that was once an open parking lot next to City Hall and the site that was formerly Heritage Park. At present, the mammoth construction site seems poised to overtake City Hall. The exterior of City Hall will eventually be given a face lift to bring it up to date and compatible with the architectural design of the apartment complex. The interior of City Hall is being brought up to code with a new sprinkler system and other improvements. Currently, City Council meetings and work sessions are being held in the Duckworth Building, across the street. Voting is taking place at the Richland College Campus – at least it won’t be vacant one day this year!