Call it a do-it-yourself college.

Rather than struggle for years trying to lure a state university or college to Temecula, city officials and a developer may break new ground in California by building one themselves.

Efforts are underway to cobble together a home-grown college on a 32-acre site owned by the city. If the project is approved and built, students would be able to earn two- and four-year degrees, as well as take graduate-level and university extension courses, all at the same location.

They also would be able to eat, sleep and shop at the Temecula Education Complex, which officials say would be the first of its kind in the state and perhaps a model for similar facilities elsewhere.

"This is a pilot for the state," said Joan Sparkman, a former Temecula schools trustee who now chairs the Mount San Jacinto Community College District governing board. "It's never been done."

Stephen Garcia, chief financial officer and business vice president for Cal State San Marcos, calls the Temecula complex plan "unique in the state." Never before has a city provided land for a project that would draw several colleges or universities to the same site.

"We're excited and we hope it works out," he said.

The plan calls for building a complex that would bring Mt. San Jacinto, Cal State San Marcos and UC Riverside classes together under one roof. Those three institutions currently offer classes in Temecula, but they are scattered over four locations that cannot handle any more students.

Students could begin at the campus with classes from Mt. San Jacinto before transferring their credits to Cal State San Marcos and finishing up their bachelor program at the same location.

Backers of the project also hope to attract other colleges and accredited schools, including those offering vocational and master's degree programs.

City site targeted

The project would be built in two phases at the city's 32-acre Northwest Sports Park complex at the north end of Diaz Road. It is seen as a way to build affordable housing, restaurants and shopping in an industrial area west of Murrieta Creek where few of those things are now available.

Plans call for the complex to include a conference center, stores, five-story classroom buildings, 260 apartments, campus offices and a 24-hour day-care center. It would total more than 226,700 square feet and include 2,150 parking spaces and an outdoor grass amphitheater and stage.

The education complex would operate 7 days a week, and the participation of several colleges means classrooms would rarely go unused, said Gary Wiggle, a Capistrano Beach architect hired by the would-be developer. Details on how the complex would be staffed and run haven't been determined.

City officials, community leaders and educators have met extensively over the past nine months. The campus plan has been revised three times, and the proposed buildings have doubled in size.

Capistrano Beach developer A.G. Kading is preparing a feasibility study and design plan in exchange for possibly winning the right to build the education complex. The cost of the project and where the money will come from has not been determined.

"It's a plum for Temecula," said Bent A. Christensen, a partner of Kading's firm, AGK Group. "The prestige it will bring is incredible."

Temecula officials, along with Kading and college officials, will present the plan to the Southwest Riverside County Economic Development Commission at the group's Aug. 28 luncheon at Temecula Creek Inn.

AGK has hired an environmental consultant to analyze potential impacts that the Temecula Education Complex would have on the area near the city's boundary with Murrieta.

Murrieta has submitted initial comments on the proposal, worried about the effects that the campus could have on flood-prone Murrieta Creek. Also, in a letter sent to Temecula planners late last month, Murrieta officials asked that a traffic study examine potential impacts on 11 city intersections on streets that include Jefferson Avenue, Murrieta Hot Springs Road and California Oaks Road.

City staff hope to begin presenting details of the educational complex plan to the City Council in closed-door meetings as early as Tuesday night. A public vote by the council may come in October, said John Meyer, the city's redevelopment director.

Besides winning council approval, governing boards for the three participating educational institutions also must formally adopt the Temecula complex plan.

Assistant City Manager Jim O'Grady said the complex has sparked a lot of optimism, but he frequently cautions project supporters that it's not a done deal.

"There's such a need there," he said. "It's just an incredible project."

Business on board

The complex has been readily embraced by the region's business community. It is seen as a way to fill a need for vocational training and to add to Temecula's economic development muscle, joining the city's regional mall, car dealers, manufacturers, casino resort, wine country, Old Town and other attractions.

"It makes a lot of sense, frankly," said Ron Bradley, a retired Temecula city manager who now leads the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors. "I doubt if there's one business out there that wouldn't applaud the city's involvement in the education complex."

In the Temecula Valley, several factories and other businesses currently contract with UCR for vocational training programs, which typically attract 20 to 70 students.

Sparkman, of the Mt. San Jacinto district's board, said vocational training will continue to be crucial in southwest Riverside County for several professions, including nurses, who will be in high demand as area hospitals expand and a proposed hospital is built.

Area's options limited

Bradley said the idea for a Temecula college campus was discussed years ago while he was city manager, but a plan remained elusive. Proponents felt stymied by the land donation requirement and the financial and political hurdles involved in winning approval needed to lure a state college or university to the city, he said.

"It takes a lot of political horsepower to get it done," he said.

Take Merced, for example. In a process that that lasted nearly a decade, the Merced area was picked in 1996 as the home of the state's 10th UC campus. A 2,000-acre site just outside that city was picked from among 80 locations that were proposed after the University of California Board of Regents decided to build a university in the Central Valley.

Competition was fierce among the three regions selected as finalists, and once the Regents picked Merced, there were environmental lawsuits and other obstacles to overcome, said Jack Lesch, Merced's city planning director and a member of the committee formed to attract a university.

"It's been an important project," he said. "We're glad to talk about it, but it wasn't easy."

Despite state budget cuts, the Merced campus is expected to open in about two years with approximately 1,000 students. Enrollment is projected to grow by about 1,000 students a year until it reaches approximately 25,000.

Two Cal State universities have been built since the San Marcos campus opened in 1989. The state's budget deficit makes it unlikely that more will be built in the near future to join the 23-campus system, Garcia said.

Furthermore, Garcia said Temecula would be an unlikely choice for a future UC or Cal State campus, given the city's proximity to other campuses.