Concurrently, the Palo Verde Community College District was searching for a location for a permanent educational center to replace their temporary campus at the Needles High School. The architect accompanied by an educational consultant and the district conducted the search for suitable buildings or empty sites throughout the town. Fortuitously, the Claypool family offered up their entire downtown complex as a donation.

The main 26,000 sf building built in 1930 was part of a complex of five interconnected older buildings. It had been "modernized" in the early-1960s using a steel paneled "shroud" in a misguided attempt to unify all six to appear as a single building. The 1930 building was unique in its construction of reinforced concrete walls and steel open web floor and roof framing  - far ahead of its time! This made it the only one suitable to meet the stringent seismic safety standards of the state.

A Due-Diligence Report prepared by the A&E and the educational consultant included feasibility floor plans, structural analysis, cost estimating, and a projection of future student enrollments. This was taken to the state for review where they recommended it be reviewed under a recent legislation: AB-425. One of only two community college buildings done under its rules, it delegated the plan check to the district and A&E.

The Due-Diligence Report became the basis for college board approval and a local bond election to fund the construction budget, $6 million.

The architect undertook an inventory of the surviving original Art Deco fabric. Concurrently the original 1930 working drawings were discovered in the archives of the owner, vastly improving the speed with which the structural system could be evaluated. That along with extensive concrete and steel core sampling and testing allowed the drawings to proceed.

In addition was an advance contract to remove the metal shrouding and other false work that obscured the hidden exteriors and interiors. Once done, the original building came back into view for the first time in over 50 years. The local populace, who could now visualize the outcome, began clamoring for the project's early completion. The final construction contract was quickly let using a construction manager.

Meanwhile the interior designer developed a color palette and layout of  the office landscape and furniture. The design placed classrooms in the basement level with conventional ceiling heights and the public and office functions including the library in the two story high main floor. The open mezzanine was left unfinished for future development. This was completed in 2020 by another architect who added a nursing lab and study space.

The outcome is an inspiring example of historic preservation and building recycling to a new use.