The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of UC Riverside, is partnering with the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) to propose a ground lease of University-owned land on East Campus for the purpose of constructing a new approximately 80,000-gross-square-foot, three-story RUSD Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Center (previously called the RUSD STEM High School) to support students in grades 9 through 12. The proposed project anticipates to include approximately 60 faculty and staff and is expected to serve a capacity of approximately 800 students at any given time, approximately 1,200 daily (400 full-time and 800 part-time students), who are pursuing their interests and aptitudes in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Pursuant to the State of California Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21091(a) and Sections 15085 and 15087 of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA Guidelines), the University of California, Riverside (UCR) has released for public review a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Center.

Document Availability & Review Period: A copy of the Notice of Completion/Notice of Availability (NOC/NOA) and Draft EIR is available for downloading on the UCR Planning, Design & Construction Environmental Planning website: https://pdc.ucr.edu/environmental-planning-ceqa; or for viewing at the UCR Planning, Design & Construction Office located at 1223 University Avenue Suite 240 Riverside, CA 92507; at the Riverside Unified School Facilities, Planning, and Development Office located at 3070 Washington Street Riverside, CA 92504; and at the Riverside Main Library located at 3900 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501. The 45-day public review period for the Draft EIR begins on March 18, 2024, and ends on May 2, 2024. Comments must be received in writing no later than 5:00 PM on May 2, 2024. Your name should be included with your comments. Please send your written comments to the attention of Stephanie Tang at 1223 University Avenue Suite 240 Riverside, CA 92507 with the subject line titled STEM Education Center. Comments can also be submitted via email to the following address: CEQA@ucr.edu. Comments must also be received no later than 5:00 PM on May 2, 2024. 

Public Hearing to Provide Comments: A public meeting will be held by the University during the public review period. The meeting will be held in person on April 16, 2024 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Courtyard by Marriott located at 1510 University Avenue Riverside, CA 92507. The public hearing will also be available via live feed link:  https://bit.ly/3T1f2G8  on the day and time of the public hearing noted above. Please note that public comments would not be available via the live feed and members of the public could provide comments either in person at the public hearing or via email to CEQA@ucr.edu or at 1223 University Avenue Suite 240 Riverside, CA 92507. A recorded version of the public hearing meeting will be posted on the UCR Planning, Design & Construction Environmental Planning website under “Community Meetings”: https://pdc.ucr.edu/environmental-planning-ceqa  and via the following link: https://bit.ly/3T1f2G8 after the public hearing date. 

More information can be found at the RUSD STEM Education Center website http://stemedcenter.riversideunified.org/