OAKLAND, CA — On September 2, 2025, the Peralta Community College District and Merritt College celebrated a major milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Horticulture Complex on the beautiful campus in the Oakland Hills. Funded by the generous support of northern Alameda County voters through Bond Measure G, the state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for education, sustainability, and innovation for generations to come.
Speakers highlighted the deep connection between the college’s work and the land on which it stands, beginning with Merritt College student Marquel de la Cruz, who provided a thoughtful blessing and land acknowledgment recognizing the location on the ancestral and unceded homeland of the Ohlone people.
Merritt College President Dr. David M. Johnson welcomed the community and shared his vision for the new complex. “This new Horticulture Complex is not only a magnificent, stunning building, grand in design and innovative in function,” he said. “It's also a living testament to Merritt’s commitment to the community we serve. It is a place where education, sustainability, and opportunity will flourish together for generations to come.”
Dr. Johnson also expressed deep gratitude to the taxpayers, faculty, staff, and the architects and builders who brought the long-awaited project to life. “Today, it's not like we're just opening up a building. We're also opening doors to opportunity, learning, community partnership, and a greener and brighter future.”
Peralta Community College District Chancellor Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson spoke to the significance of the new complex as an investment in growth. “We are planting together,” she said. “When we look to nature, we see growth doesn’t happen all at once. It comes in cycles. But under the right conditions—sunlight, rain, care, and time—a landscape flourishes in ways we could not have imagined. The Landscape Horticulture Complex is one of those conditions. It is the soil, the water, and the light that will allow ideas, talents, and futures to take root and thrive.”
The new complex, designed by Noll & Tam Architects, features modern classrooms and laboratories that integrate with the outdoor learning spaces, offering a seamless educational experience. “We fell in love with the charms of this satellite campus as far back as 2013, when we helped Peralta Community College District request funding for the New Landscape and Horticulture Complex at Merritt College,” commented Noll & Tam Project Manager, Jocelyn Lawrence Barish. “The gardens and classrooms are an oasis, and when we were finally hired to work on their redesign, which fell during COVID quarantine, this project was a balm for our team of architects and engineers during such a turbulent time. We are honored to have partnered with staff, faculty, and students to help infuse this hidden gem with new life!”
Horticulture Department Faculty co-chairs Chris Grampp and Laura Forlin shared how the new facility will support a robust program that offers over 25 courses and eight degrees and certificates, serving approximately 1,600 students annually.
Construction began in February 2023 with a construction budget of $23.6 million. Construction Management was overseen by Kitchell CEM with Thompson Builders serving as the General Contractor.
The event brought together students, faculty, classified professional staff, administrators, community leaders, and elected officials, including Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins, Peralta Trustees Nicky González Yuen and Sheweet Yohannes, and Louis Quindlen, President of Peralta's Board of Trustees, to recognize the collaborative effort behind the project.
Board President Quindlen noted, “Outside of graduation, events like today's ribbon cutting might be one of the most exciting days of the year at Peralta Colleges. Like graduation, this is both a celebration of work completed and the creation of exciting new opportunities. The taxpayers of the Peralta district created this opportunity when they so generously supported the Measure G bond way back in 2018. Faculty, staff, and administrators worked hard on shaping the design to match the curriculum they saw coming out of this magnificent facility. The district oversaw contracts and processes that guided the work and made sure our community's precious investment paid off in great jobs for students and service to our cities, gardens, and lands.”
The event culminated in the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, marking the official opening of the complex to students and the community.