Roseville Hopes to Lure University to the City

Could Roseville become the future home of a four-year university?

Yes, according to Assistant City Manager of Operations Robert Jensen.

City Council appointed a 17-person task force to guide the process of luring a university to the area. The task force includes Councilmembers John Allard and Tim Herman, as well as professionals from higher education such as Sierra College, Sacramento State and UC Davis, financial institutions and job centers who can determine the needs of a potential university and market what Roseville has to offer. The task force will meet for roughly a year at a cost of nearly $40,000.

A university could bring approximately 6,300 jobs to the city, according to a 2006 Sacramento Regional Institute study, said Mike Isom with the Roseville Planning Department.

Isom said attracting a four-year university is identified as "a cornerstone to economic prosperity in South Placer."

"There are very few projects that woud have this type of positive impact on a community," he said.

With Sierra College and Sacramento State nearby it's arguable that a four-year university is a necessity. Proponents believe otherwise.

"The financial benefit to the city and Placer County are pretty large," Jensen said.

A university in Roseville would educate the workforce for the city's existing employers like tech company and medical facility .

"There are few sites in Roseville that are large enough accommodate a university," Jensen said, but two vacant buildings on the HP campus and downtown are possible locations.

These relatively small spots means that a prospective university would likely attract commuter students, since it wouldn't have dormitories.

Roseville is eager to attract a higher education institution. Jensen said the city might even offer a financial incentive if it's recommended by the task force and if there's a return on investment.

"If that's a good business deal for the city, we're open to whatever makes us most successful," he said.