FALLBROOK — Palomar College and Fallbrook community members looked on as a signed steel beam rose into a clear blue sky at the Fallbrook Education Center on Oct. 1, marking a milestone for a project 20 years in the making.

The beam, covered in signatures from trustees, faculty, construction crew and community members, symbolized both the physical progress of Fallbrook’s first permanent campus building and the emotional triumph of a community that fought for years to make the northern Palomar campus a reality.

The ceremony drew a large crowd to the construction site, steps away from the temporary classrooms. Attendees lined up to sign their names on the white beam before it was lifted into its final place atop the building’s frame. College and community leaders, construction representatives, and Fallbrook campus staff shared remarks during the celebration.

Palomar President Star Rivera-Lacey highlighted the teamwork and determination behind the project’s progress, thanking the college’s administrative and construction teams, as well as local partnerships including the Bonsall Unified School District, for their support in expanding access to higher education across North County.

“Today’s topping-off ceremony marks the placement of the last major structural beam on the highest point of the building,” Rivera-Lacey said. “This moment is a critical juncture in bringing to life this vibrant educational facility in the most northern region part of the Palomar district.”

The story of the center traces back to 2006 when voters approved Proposition M, a $694 million bond to fund Palomar’s long-term expansion. Promised projects included a permanent North County campus, the football stadium, completed in 2024, and an athletic fieldhouse currently under construction on the San Marcos campus. But for years the Fallbrook promise remained unfulfilled. Economic downturns, litigation, district leadership changes, and later, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed progress.

In 2018, Palomar opened an interim campus in Fallbrook using temporary modular buildings. Amidst rising costs post-pandemic, in 2020 the governing board opted to scale the original Fallbrook 80 permanent facility down to Fallbrook 40 at half the originally intended size. Construction on the first building began in January of this year with a projected opening date of early 2027 and an estimated cost of nearly $54 million.

Former trustee Mark Evilsizer, who served on the Governing Board when Proposition M was first passed, attended the ceremony wearing a shirt belonging to the late trustee John Halcón, his former board colleague, so he could be there in spirit.

Evilsizer joined the celebration alongside current governing board trustees Jacqueline Kaiser and Roberto Rodriguez.

“It’s almost taken 20 years for this thing to get erected. So I had to see it, had to sign the beam. It’s very important for students out here,” Evilsizer said. “This area is forecast to grow over time, so we’ve got a center now that can serve the community.”

Fallbrook resident and current Governing Board President Kaiser opened the ceremony.

“This is truly a great moment for Palomar College,” Kaiser said. “This permanent, 40,000-square-foot building here at the Fallbrook Education Center is clearly taking shape, as you can all see. When complete, our students will have classrooms, a library and student spaces to study, collaborate, socialize and continue to pursue their educational goals.”

Student Trustee Ariel Fridman, who began her term this summer, also spoke briefly during the ceremony.

“The Associated Student Government represents more than 29,000 Palomar College students, and we are grateful that our students in the northern region of our district will have a comprehensive student experience while they pursue their goals here at the Fallbrook Education Center,” Fridman said.

Among the crowd were community members who have been advocating for the project since its earliest stages, including Jennifer Jeffries, a longtime Fallbrook resident and member of the Fallbrook Advisory Board who helped campaign for Proposition M.

“This means literally thousands of students over the years will get a fair shake. Not only environmentally, like a beautiful building and decent services, but they will be part of a growing community of educated, inspired and community-building people,” Jeffries said. “This starts with Palomar College and goes beyond Palomar College. This is a vote of optimism for the future.”

The connection between Palomar and the local community extends even to the construction crew of local trade contractors, many of whom have ties to the center and the college. Among them are Anton Greenville, senior vice president at Balfour Beatty and a Palomar alum, and John Baradin, director of safety, health and environmental, whose children have attended and will attend the college.

“I think it’s great, because I’m personally connected,” Baradin said. “My daughter went to this college to get her AA, and my son’s going to come to the same school … The building looks gorgeous, so I’m excited about it.”

“As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded of the hard work and dedication that has gotten us to today, as well as the even greater work that lies ahead in completing this beautiful new space,” Williams said. “This topping off ceremony marks the beginning of something truly transformative for Palomar College, for Fallbrook and for the surrounding communities … We can’t wait to see this building finally come alive.”

While construction is far from complete, the topping-off ceremony marks a symbolic victory after decades of effort spanning multiple generations of trustees, administrators, and community advocates. From the 2006 board’s vision, supported by Halcón and Evilsizer, to the current board led by President Kaiser, the moment unified past and present under a shared goal: expanding access to education in North County.

“I was one of the first four elementary school classes to go to the planetarium. So my connection with Palomar started way back when and through that experience, I didn’t know why, but I knew Palomar was important,” Jeffries said. “Education is everything to me in terms of importance. So to see one of the most vital parts of that fabric blossom here, right here in Fallbrook, it’s just a terrific, terrific happiness.”