BRAWLEY — It may look like no more than a freshly plowed field, but come January the dusty plot of land on Highway 78 east of here will be bustling with more than 500 students.

San Diego State University- Imperial Valley campus officials met with media members Monday at the future site of the Brawley satellite campus — where construction began today — to outline specifics of the first phase of the project, which will include a 10,000 square-foot, seven-classroom building and a parking lot with space for 150 cars.

Last week workers from the Brawley-based construction company A&R Construction began prepping the site by moving dirt where the building will be built and stripping the agricultural land of grass to make way for the parking lot.

SDSU-IV Dean Khosrow Fatemi expects the Brawley campus to bring an influx of students and possibly increase enrollment by 40 percent by next fall.

The new building and parking lot — set to be complete by Jan. 5 — will only occupy five of the 200 acres the school owns but officials have grand plans for the land.

The Brawley campus became a concept in 1998 when Fatemi began his tenure at SDSU-IV and heard the North County was underserved.

"I knew that we needed to expand and there is no room for expansion on our campus," he said.

Initially college officials considered 200 acres about seven miles east of Calexico for expansion, but that was before receiving an offer in February 1999 from Alamitos Land Co. of Brawley, which donated 200 acres for the campus.

Depending upon the state and federal budget, within the next 10 years, officials plan to add student housing, a student center and an institute for agricultural entrepreneurship building.

The institute — which will focus on agribusiness studies — will hold 10 to 12 classrooms, offices and a research facility. The student center will include an energy museum with a gift shop and cafe and a library.

Although building plans specify the new site will specialize in agribusiness and energy research, eventually the Brawley campus will mirror the Calexico campus in terms of class offerings.

"The goal is that students will be able to graduate from either site without having to commute from one site to the other," said Fatemi. "I think if we get the kinks out, we'll be able to do that."

By next fall, Fatemi expects the site to offer about 100 classes per week on a range of subjects. Instructors will be expected to travel between campuses.

Taking advantage of the Valley's endless days of sun, officials hope to design a completely energy self-sufficient campus by installing solar panels on 20 to 50 acres.

The building under construction will be situated at a 45-degree angle so the afternoon sun does not hit the west wall, saving money on energy costs, said Fatemi.

If the Brawley site manages to survive solely on solar energy, the facility "will serve as a major source of research into alternative, renewable sources of energy including solar, geothermal, biomass and possibly wind," says the master plan.

Students will attend classes at Brawley Union High School until Jan. 12, when winter term begins.