By Mary O’KEEFE

Regarding the proposed project by Glendale Community College (GCC) involving the Professional Development Center (PDC) and the property of the former Citibank on Honolulu Avenue, CVW was contacted by readers who were concerned about the expected construction on the project including how it will affect those already at the PDC and the proposed partnership with USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. 

Readers shared concerns that those who work at PDC are being released from their positions earlier than GCC had previously reported. 

“We currently have one full-time employee and two contract workers located in the PDC building. They will relocate to the Verdugo campus this spring. PDC classes are typically offered online or at the business site. The PDC has not hosted classes at the Montrose building for about six years now,” said Kristine Nam, GCC spokesperson. “The department that was occupying the space PDC is moving into relocated to their new offices on campus [Monday] so … the PDC move will happen in the coming days depending how much work they want done in their new space.”

The plan for construction and the partnership with USC-VHH was presented at the Montrose Shopping Park Association (MSPA) meeting in December 2025. There, GCC board of trustees member Desirée Rabinov and Superintendent/President Dr. Ryan Cornner shared a presentation of their proposed expansion to the Montrose site. 

GCC purchased the former Citibank building at 2350 Honolulu Ave. to extend its campus outreach into Montrose. Cornner said it was “a thorn in his side” to have a sign on the former bank that for many years stated “Coming Soon.” 

During the MSPA meeting Cornner said GCC wanted the Montrose location to be more than just an educational center because that format may serve students but it does not serve the community. 

“And so we really wanted to see what we could do that would look at having a planned partnership with some other community entities, looking at program demand and at a program development that really met what the community needed,” he said. “We [prepare] students [for] high-paying, career-driven jobs and [create] a need that could definitely be served by those students.”

The partnership with USC-VHH was mentioned at the meeting. The plan was to first have the hospital’s physical and occupational therapy work out of the PDC, then moving to the newly constructed former Citibank location. 

At that time, and in a later interview with CVW, an exact timeline as to when this was to begin was not shared; however, it appears the move to the PDC is beginning this month. 

CVW reached out to USC-VHH for comment but its spokesperson said it would have more information to share at a later date.

Neighbors in Sparr Heights, specifically those who are adjacent to the parking lot of the PDC location, have concerns about the project and the outreach done by GCC.

“We immediately informed the community when we had a conceptual plan for the property. Dr. Cornner and Trustee Portillo-Rabinov have presented at several community meetings, including the Montrose Shopping Park Association and CV Town Council. We are also in constant communication with several neighbors who live adjacent to the Montrose Campus parking lot,” Nam stated. 

However, neighbors continue to have issues, specifically with the term “constant communication.” 

Sparr Heights resident Angela Miller said “constant communication” was not what she experienced. She did say that GCC representatives do respond to emails initiated by her and her neighbors. She has attended the meetings of the GCC Board of Trustees, Montrose Shopping Park Association and Crescenta Valley Town Council; the administration has spoken but Miller said those meetings were not set up to have a dialogue. Miller is part of a growing group of concerned Sparr Heights neighbors. 

“GCC has not been proactive in initiating the communication around matters that are relevant to us as neighbors,” she said.

Miller had recently sent a letter to Cornner and the board of trustees. 

“Our experience of GCC communication to date around the Montrose Campus is concerning and is not instilling trust in the process of neighborly relations between GCC and Sparr Heights residents. We found out about the PDC staff moving out from the PDC building through a Montrose community member, not from the College, and in advance of materials being posted in the PDC windows,” stated the letter from Miller.

The letter continued:

“On multiple occasions, a few in-person and twice in writing, we have asked about the dates when PDC renovation will begin and the USC physical and occupational therapy clinic will move into the PDC building. We have been given a vague timeline of spring or summer in 2026. We can’t imagine that dates have not been set as plans and legally binding agreements between GCC and USC must have dates attached, not open-ended seasons. We know that USC/Verdugo Hills Hospital has already given notice to their PT [physical therapy] and OT [occupational therapy] staff that their jobs have been terminated and they can reapply for their positions at the long-term temporary clinic that will be housed at the PDC building.”

Again, CVW reached out to USC-VHH and was told it will not yet comment on the move into PDC, but it will in the near future. 

Nam said she cannot comment on USC-VHH staffing – only the move – as it pertains to GCC; however Nam said GCC administration anticipates USC to move into the PDC facility by this summer.

“We are working through the procurement process for the internal construction on the PDC building. Given that we are a public institution, this can be a very slow process. However, we anticipate having a contractor on board later this month or sometime in April. At that point we will have more definitive dates on when construction will begin. Construction should be minor and focused on the interior of the building,” Nam added.

GCC representatives are in the process of updating the school’s bond website with Measure GCC information. Once the update is completed updates on the construction projects will be available on that site.