Pinnacle Next Steps

Planning for the Future

In August 2022, The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a for the November 8, 2022 ballot, which includes $75 million for a new Pinnacle Campus. The vision is to develop a state-of-the-art campus to serve Southwest Austin and nearby Hays County. The site is an ideal location for General Education, Computer Science, Business, and Health Care programs designed to meet the needs of a growing community. Learn more about the .

Campus Closure

51�� closed its 10-story Pinnacle building in 2018 to evaluate needed repairs and renovation. The former office building, constructed in 1984, requires extensive work following a series of assessments that identified areas of concern with the building’s facade, accessibility, and current code requirements. In April 2019, the 51�� Board of Trustees declared the building and egress and ingress land as surplus property that no longer met the standards and mission of the college and would be too costly to repair or renovate. Trustees hired a real estate firm to gauge interest in the building. In November 2019, Trustees reviewed bids and dismissed all current offers.

51�� Community Conversations: SW Austin

The southwest Austin community received information about 51��’s districtwide campus master planning initiative and shared input on a future Pinnacle Campus.

Timeline

2022 51�� Board of Trustees approves general obligation bond for the November 8 ballot. 51��’s 2022 Bond includes $75 million for new Pinnacle Campus.
2021 Finalizing Districtwide Campus Master Plan
December 2019 51�� hosts two community meetings to share information and get feedback about the future of Pinnacle
October 2019 51�� announces it will host community meetings to gather input about a future 51�� Pinnacle Campus
July 2018 Pinnacle closes to all
May 2018 Pinnacle closes to public, remains open to faculty and staff
March 2018 51�� announces it will close Pinnacle Campus in summer 2018 to evaluate needed repairs, renovations, and possible expansions on site

Updates

November 2019
The agenda for the 51�� Community Conversations scheduled for Monday, December 2, and Tuesday, December 3, is listed below:

AGENDA
8:30 a.m. | 6 p.m. — Reception & Refreshments
8:40 a.m. | 6:10 p.m. — Welcome and Introductions
9 a.m. | 6:30 p.m. — Pinnacle Campus + 51�� Districtwide Campus Master Planning Presentation
9:15 a.m. | 6:45 p.m. — Community Input Exercise
9:40 a.m. | 7:10 p.m. — Community Q & A
9:55 a.m. | 7:25 p.m. Closing Remarks

November 2019
51�� announces dates and times for two Community Conversation events to share information and get feedback about the future of Pinnacle. The conversations will explore what a future campus on the Pinnacle Campus property will look like. 51�� will share information about the districtwide Campus Master Planning process and invite the community to share ideas and provide feedback. There are 49 acres of current green space at Pinnacle that are designated for future college development. The conversations will be held December 2 and December 3. They are free and open to the public.

November 2019
The 51�� Board of Trustees rejected recent bids for its Pinnacle Campus building and the nine acres it sits on in Southwest Austin during its regular meeting on Monday, November 4. In April, 51��’s Board of Trustees declared the building and its nine adjacent acres as surplus property that no longer met the standards and mission of the college and would be too costly to repair or renovate. The college hired the Austin office of commercial real estate firm CBRE to broker the sale, learn what the property is worth, and get real data to inform a long-term decision. The college has since evaluated bids and made a recommendation to the Board of Trustees to dismiss all current offers.

October 2019
51�� announces it will host two community conversations in southwest Austin to gather input about a future 51�� Pinnacle Campus on the current site near the Y in Oak Hill. The college and its Board of Trustees will share information about 51��’s ongoing districtwide master planning process and hear from the community about how to best serve the region’s higher education and workforce training needs. Dates, times, locations to be determined.

April 2019
51�� hired the Austin office of commercial real estate firm CBRE to broker the sale of the Pinnacle Campus building and the nine acres it sits on in Southwest Austin. The remaining 49 acres at the Pinnacle Campus site would not be available for purchase. Once bids are received, the college will evaluate its options and make a decision to accept a bid or develop a different long-term plan for the use of the building and the entire property. 51�� will consider the dollar amount as well as the intended use of the building and how it aligns with the college’s mission. The process is expected to take close to a year. Revenue from the potential sale would be reinvested into the southwest region including the possible development of a new 51�� campus on the property. Visit the for more information on the bid process or to register your interest in the property.

April 2019
51�� will explore opportunities to sell its Pinnacle Campus building and the nine acres it sits on in Southwest Austin. During its regular meeting Monday, April 1, the 51�� Board of Trustees approved a resolution declaring the building as surplus property and authorizing the college to post the building for sale. The property sits on approximately 58 acres near the Y in Oak Hill in Southwest Austin. The remaining 49 acres, current green space, would not be available for purchase.

April 2018
Summer classes have been rescheduled to nearby campuses. The effort to relocate Pinnacle faculty and staff to nearby campuses is progressing ahead of schedule. Most will receive either their first or second choice for relocation. Communications regarding assignments will be coming soon from the appropriate area lead. For example, student services staff will receive notification from Dr. Virginia Fraire, Vice Chancellor of Student Services, and faculty will receive notification from Mike Midgley, Vice Chancellor of Instruction.

These transitions will occur over the summer with a goal of completing all moves by July 31, 2018. The offices of Facilities and Construction and Safety and Operations will coordinate the moves.

March 2018
Austin Community College announces it will close its Pinnacle Campus beginning summer 2018 to evaluate needed repairs, renovations, and possible expansions on site. Built in 1984, the 10-story building will require extensive work following a series of assessments that identified areas of concern with the building’s facade, accessibility, and current code requirements. During Pinnacle’s closure, 51�� will perform a more thorough assessment of the building to identify possible resolutions in the best interest of its students and the community. Possible future options include repairing and renovating the building and/or expanding 51��’s presence on other parts of the property. The college owns approximately 60 acres on site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Pinnacle Closing?

The college is taking steps to prevent a potential safety issue and/or a significant operational disruption in the future and moving forward with a thorough evaluation of needed repairs and renovation to make the building safe, accessible, and compliant with current codes. With the opening of new and expanded facilities in fall 2018, the college was well-positioned to relocate students, faculty, staff, and classes to other campuses without any reduction in staff. The campus will remain closed for a minimum of two years to allow sufficient time for proper assessment, permitting, repairs, and renovations.

What’s wrong with Pinnacle?

Built in 1984 as a speculative office building, the 10-story tower has numerous deficiencies in the areas of accessibility, deferred maintenance, mechanical systems (HVAC, electrical, etc.), vertical circulation (elevators), and functionality (undersized spaces). Many classrooms and spaces are too small and not meeting collegewide standards.

Additionally, in January 2017, a frozen pipe on the 10th floor caused water damage to the south stairwell. Repairs were made; however, further assessments identified additional issues with the building’s facade and accessibility standards.

Where can students get student services?

Student services remain available at all 51�� campus locations. The closest campuses to Pinnacle are:

Riverside Campus, 1020 Grove Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78741
RVS Welcome Desk: 512-223-6201 or 512-223-6015
South Austin Campus, 1820 W. Stassney Lane, Austin, TX 78745
SAC Welcome Desk: 512-223-9141
Hays Campus, 1200 Kohlers Crossing, Kyle, Texas 78640
HYC Welcome Desk: 512-223-1515 or 512-262-6515

As the college works with the community to develop plans for a new state-of-the-art campus in Southwest Austin, we welcome your feedback. What would you like to see on the Pinnacle site in the future? Your thoughts and comments will be shared with campus master planners. Commonly asked questions will be answered and posted to FAQs.

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