Chaffey College Celebrates Completion of Michael Alexander Campus Center Renovation

Campus and community leaders gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the $19.9 million renovation and expansion of the Michael Alexander Campus Center on Aug. 27.

The building – featuring 9,000 additional square feet, 400 indoor seats, a dining hall, an employee dining pavilion and a conference room – had been under construction since April 2024. The project was funded by Measure P, which was approved by voters in 2018.

“What you see here is a significant piece of Chaffey history,” said Chaffey College President Henry D. Shannon. “I was a new leader on campus when the MACC was originally built, but the person for whom it was named was a Chaffey veteran – a person whose legacy continues even today.”

Michael Alexander served Chaffey for 37 years as department chair for communication studies, dean and co-creator Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). Members of his family attended the grand opening celebration.

Chaffey College Student Government President Dylan Hollie considered the opening particularly significant because for the last year, he had only caught glimpses of the building through chain link fences. He had never seen MACC on the inside before it closed for construction.

“To me, this is more than just a place where you can get something to eat or have a coffee. This is a place where you can build community, make connections and meet people you haven’t met before,” he said.

The building includes a stained-glass display in the dining hall, a piece of artwork by Chaffey alumnus Malcolm Rice, created it for Chaffey’s old Campus Center West. That building was torn down in 2010 to make way for MACC, but the glass was preserved in storage. The artwork depicts Cucamonga Peak and the San Gabriel Mountains below a vibrant sun.

Chaffey College Governing Board President Gary C. Ovitt expressed gratitude to the community for supporting students through Measure P.

“It is important for us to provide our students with top-of-the-line labs and classrooms, but also places to gather, recharge and replenish. And with this expansion of the MACC building, we have achieved this,” he said.