Lucerne Real Estate Analysis

On Saturday, June 9, the Marymount College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the
County of Lake, Calif., to proceed with development of a college campus to be located at the historic Lucerne Hotel. The college’s
approval follows the Lake County Board of Supervisors’ unanimous approval of the MOU on Tuesday, June 5, during its meeting. The
next step is the preparation of a lease agreement between the County of Lake and Marymount College.
Marymount College president Dr. Michael Brophy described the ability to develop the college in Lake County as an extraordinary
opportunity.
“We hope to provide service learning and educational experiences to Marymount students in spring 2013,” said Dr. Brophy. “However,
we will be working over the next year to develop curriculum and programs that best serve the needs of students and the community in
Lake County.”
Rob Brown, chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors, said, “We are very fortunate to be working with the leadership team of
Marymount College. Over the past several months, they really have demonstrated their commitment to Lake County.”
The college plans to seek accreditation to offer bachelor’s degree programs to transfer students who have completed an associate
degree and graduate study to students who have completed a bachelor’s degree beginning 2014. The college is also in the process of
developing offerings to support non-degree lifelong learning and professional education at the Lucerne site as early as 2013. The
college accepts federal and state financial aid for all of its accredited degree programs. Different tuition models will be considered, with
the goal of meeting the needs of community college transfer students.
Students who enroll at Lake County will also be given the opportunity to attend classes at the Southern California campuses or in the
college’s study abroad programs.
Invited by the County of Lake in June 2011 to submit a proposal to build an educational institution within the county-owned property, the
college submitted its proposal for consideration. After multiple visits and discussions between county leaders and the college’s
administration, a mutually beneficial agreement, the MOU, was prepared, and it serves as the framework for the two organizations.
“We plan to be a part of the community and to bring programs to and serve the needs of transfer students completing their bachelor’s
degrees and students seeking college coursework to further career or personal goals,” said Dr. Brophy. The college will look to the
community for opportunities for student internships, academic research and service learning (volunteer work that is integrated with
coursework), and it will offer students recreational pursuits unique to the picturesque Clear Lake and surrounding terrain.
“The benefits that Marymount College will bring to our community are extraordinary,” Brown said.
The college has met with leaders representing local government; education; Hispanic and Native American populations; and the
winemaking, hospitality, gaming and energy industries; and has recently completed a survey of many of these populations to assess
their educational needs. Enrollment opportunities also exist to bring students from the college’s Southern California campuses to the
Lucerne campus for a semester or year, as well as to attract students from the Bay Area and internationally to study at the Lucerne
campus.
The Lucerne Hotel sits on seven acres, with basketball courts and a swimming pool and views of the expansive Clear Lake. Its stately
appearance has been refurbished and is fondly referred to as “the castle” by those who liken its peaked roofs and 1920s’ architecture to
those of regal Swiss chateaux. The last tenant, the San Francisco Theological Seminary, purchased it in 1968 and then sold it to the
County of Lake in 2010. The county has completed property restoration and improvements since taking ownership.
Marymount College’s leaders view the Lucerne campus as a complement to its campuses in the Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro
communities. “We offer students a suburban learning experience with a pastoral view of the Pacific Ocean from our Rancho Palos
Verdes campus,” said Dr. Brophy. “And in San Pedro our students gain experience in an urban environment where international
commerce through the Port of Los Angeles, nonprofit organizations and art lofts surround the campus.”
The opportunities in Lake County serve to further the continuum of study for students, who will gain knowledge and contribute to the
dynamics of a rural environment. “Our values and vision for a Lake County campus are seamlessly aligned with the goals of the leaders
of Lake County,” said Dr. Brophy. “We are eager to begin our work together.”
“We extend our appreciation to the County of Lake and its residents for welcoming Marymount College to the community,” he
concluded.

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