California tribe gives $5 million for ASU program, building
Rachel Leingang
Arizona State University will get $5 million from a California-based Native American tribe to help renovate the university's historic downtown Los Angeles building and set up an endowment for an Indian law program.
About half the gift from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will go toward the Herald Examiner Building.
The rest will go toward the endowment to support Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance programs that are a part of the broader Indian Legal Program at ASU's law school.
The tribe, based near the cities of San Bernardino and Highland, operates a southern California casino.
The tribe's Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena said the programs will help provide a means for tribes to achieve self-determination at a time when they're facing critical economic and governance challenges.
"These programs at ASU will provide a means for tribes to achieve self-determination," Valbuena said in an ASU Now story about the gift.
Why Los Angeles?
ASU announced its plan for a permanent space in Los Angeles in 2018. The building provides ASU an entry into California and a more visible way to pick off students from California universities.
The building, which has been largely vacant for decades, is scheduled to open in 2021. ASU has housed some programs, like journalism and film, at its California Center in Santa Monica since 2013.
The historic 1914 building, commissioned by publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, was designed by Julia Morgan, the architect who also designed the California landmark Hearst Castle.
ASU said it will occupy 87% of the space and several of its schools will have a presence there.
Nearly 14,000 students from California were enrolled at ASU in fall 2018, Arizona Board of Regents documents show. About 2,700 are from the Los Angeles area, both in online and in-person classes.
ASU sees Los Angeles as a huge untapped market.
More than 36,000 people between the ages of 18 and 25 live within seven miles of downtown Los Angeles, board documents say.
The regents approved lease terms for the Los Angeles building in April 2019. Under the terms, ASU will pay $5 million annually to rent and operate the site.
The developers plan to completely renovate the building and add restaurants and retail on the ground floor. Classrooms and offices will occupy higher floors.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.