Riverside, Calif., April, 2000--A lumbering column of construction earthmovers tells traffic on Pierce Avenue what the university administrators have known for some time: The La Sierra land development is not just a done deal - it's a present reality.

A brief recitation of the facts should bring the campus up to date on the current land development plan, a bold move that constitutes the most significant geographical change in the university's 78-year history.

Land Developer: On March 10, Griffin Industries, a Calabasas-based land development corporation, signed a deal to purchase 189 acres of university property.

The majority of this acreage will go toward the development of residential housing units, which will be placed in four distinct subdivisions. Plans that fall under the Griffin-La Sierra agreement were approved at the March 18, 1998, meeting of the Riverside City Council.

Park Land & Ceremonial Entrance: Plans call for a 50-acre tract of land directly east of the campus (an area of comparable size to the existing La Sierra campus) to become university "park land': landscaped walkways, irrigation-fed streams and a series of athletic fields for student and employee use.

An as-yet-unnamed ceremonial entry to the campus will bisect the 50-acre tract. Traffic that currently uses Pierce Street to reach the "Five Corners" intersection will be rerouted to a new street, which will skirt the bottom periphery of the 50-acre lot. This new street, to be called "River Walk Drive," will route traffic to Golden Avenue, a street immediately east of the Southeastern California Conference building.

With the change in places, the campus will no longer be buffeted by the high-speed traffic on its geographical "front door" and La Sierra employees and students will no longer endure vehicular and bodily risk as they cross or enter Pierce Street.

Backbone Facilities: Under the land development agreement, the university will pay some costs associated with Phase I "backbone" improvements of the project. (These improvements include land grading, streets, sewers and sidewalks.)

This cost-sharing agreement reflects the shared benefits that La Sierra and Griffin will get out of a new series of roads. Phase I of project includes the new ceremonial entry and is scheduled for completion by June 1, 2001.

Endowment Growth: All money made in the sale of the property will go toward the university's endowment, which currently stand at $8 million. The university will also receive a percentage of sale receipts for finished homes on Griffin's 189 acres - money that will also go toward the university's endowment.

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