About

The Emeryville Center of Community Life is a multi-use city-school campus and city center offering K-12 education, continual learning, recreational, health and social services for all Emeryville citizens. It’s an urban version of the old town square, a public space that provides opportunities for residents to interact, socialize and learn.

Vision

Emeryville is committed to building a community that offers inter-generational community programs and services in a common, accessible space – a hub and social gathering place where schools, community services, arts and recreation programs are integrated to serve the entire community and encourage social inter-connection. The ECCL incorporates elementary, intermediate and high school facilities and library and public meeting areas than can be used by the entire community. Research by educators, urban planners and architects shows that community needs are best met when schools become hubs of civic and educational activity – the heart of the city. Among the measurable outcomes are grater community involvement in schools, increased graduation rates, improved access to services for all citizens and increased college attendance.

History

The ECCL is the result of more than 10 years of public discussion and collaboration between the City of Emeryville and the Emery Unified School District. Nine community design workshops were held since August, 2011 alone, involving more than 300 citizens. This input has been incorporated with feedback from numerous other staff workshops and student focus groups into the final design and site planning.  All 10 elected officials comprising the Emeryville City Council and Emery School District have consistently voted to support the project over the last decade. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2015.