Production companies top the list as the biggest sources for outside revenue at PierceCollege, according to Kenneth Takeda, vice president of administrative services.
Outside parties, such as production companies, pay a fee to use the campus for such things as movie, commercial and television show filming.
“The biggest revenue maker is filming on campus,” Takeda said. “It brings in around $300,000 per fiscal year.”
Overall, Pierce collects just under $800,000 per fiscal year from outside revenues alone, according to Takeda.
A fiscal year for PierceCollege occurs from July to June.
Money collected from all outside revenues is part of the college’s dedicated revenues and is placed into an account designated for college use, according to Larry Kraus, associate vice president of administrative affairs.
Other outside revenues include the leasing of the soccer fields on campus along Winnetka Avenue to the West Valley Soccer League.
Sunrise Little League, located across the street from the campus on Winnetka Avenue and Victory Boulevard, is also property owned by PierceCollege. It is leased through 2020, according to Takeda.
“I had no idea that was Pierce property,” said Rene Angeles, a 23-year-old music major. “I used to play little league at Sunrise when I was a kid.”
The leasing of Sunrise Little League and the West Valley Soccer League brings in about $25,000 a year, according to Kraus.
According to Takeda, a two-acre parcel of farmland on the corner of Victory Boulevard and De Soto Avenue, where events like the annual Fall Fest take place, is also leased by the campus to the Pierce College Foundation.
Also owned by Pierce is the parking lot of the MTA’s Orange Line, located across the street from Pierce on Victory Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue.
“MTA leased it for 90 years,” Takeda said. “They made a large payment in 2003, somewhere in the millions. It’s almost like a purchase.”
Although the MTA parking lot is on Pierce property, students and faculty cannot use it for Pierce parking.
“I know people that have parked there and have gotten tickets,” Angeles said. “I think that in a way it is unfair that we cannot use that parking, but they did lease the property, so that make some sense.”
Other revenue-generating campus features owned by Pierce include Copy Tech and Freudian Sip, according to Takeda.
“We own the Sip,” Takeda said. “We license the name from Cal State Northridge.”
Pierce doesn’t own all its revenue-generating sources.
“The vending machines are owned by First Class Vending,” Takeda said. “They pay us royalties from all the purchases.”
As for the Bella Vista Apartments, located on De Soto Avenue and Oxnard Street, they do not sit on Pierce property.
“Before I came to Pierce, I thought it was PierceCollege land,” Takeda said. “It is not land we own.”
However, he said Bella Vista did pay Pierce a development fee for the impact the construction had on the farmland.
