Bitwise complex lands charter academy
It's as though the former Bitwise Industries complex across from the Padre Hotel was built for its new tenant.
The buildings have classroom spaces equipped with modern presentation technology. There are halls, training and conference rooms of different sizes, even a tubular slide that drops riders into a video game-themed basement with a 1980s-style arcade.
The original intention was to fill the spaces with young people learning modern technology. And so it will be, after all, starting opening day Aug. 15 at the Central Academy of Arts and Technology.
CAAT's transitional kindergartners through eighth-graders will shuffle among the academy's large and small gathering spaces. They will go from traditional instruction to breakout sessions to tutoring, under a charter approved in January 2023 by the Kern County Board of Education.
After the financial meltdown at Fresno-based Bitwise last year, the San Francisco investment fund that owned the Bakersfield property sought a tenant or tenants to reuse the property in a way beneficial to the community.
"It wasn't just about the almighty dollar," said the fund's commercial property broker in Bakersfield, Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Jeffrey Andrew.
CAAT, having canceled an earlier plan to move into the Bell Tower building on Truxtun Avenue, looked like the perfect fit — to both parties.
"We love this space," board President David James said. "We couldn't have asked for a better space."
CAAT has planned a unique academy where students will study at least one arts elective every day and take lessons in coding, robots and game design.
There's not much outdoor space — the property's single, small patio is expected to become a playground for the youngest students. Physical education for the rest may involve dance class inside a studio.
Thus emerges an answer to years-old questions about what will become of the dazzlingly modern office and workforce training complex on the southwest corner of 18th and H streets.
It was no secret the building's ground-floor co-working space never took off, and neither did the in-person coding and other classes Bitwise planned in Bakersfield. The Fresno-based company is now in bankruptcy liquidation proceedings; its two founders and co-CEOs face federal charges of wire fraud after taking in more than $100 million from investors who bought into their vision for a national chain of tech hubs.
The eight remaining office tenants are being consolidated to an upper portion of the easternmost of the three buildings measuring a total of 133,983 square feet. Almost everything else — except the still-vacant Porterfield Hotel, whose future in the center of the property is still unclear — has been set aside for the charter school.
Executive Director Joanna Kendrick at the local nonprofit overseeing the charter, LinkEd Public Schools, said she's looking forward to making imaginative use of the buildings' casual-professional design and "little funky spaces."
The layout is "really phenomenal" for CAAT and everyone from the board down loves the building, Kendrick said, adding, "What an inspiring, great place to go to school."
She described plans for tech and maker spaces for everything from media arts to theater. And, because the building is in the heart of downtown, it's a short walk to industry partners expected to offer internships as the school gradually expands to 12th grade.
Expectations are the academy will start with 325 students, or up to 400, with about 50 students per grade level. The charter is still hiring staff and enrolling students. Information is available online at linkedpublicschools.com.
James expects to see good use made of the many rooms' new computer screens, projectors and white boards. He has thoughts, too, about the basement arcade: It could serve as an inspiring videogame design lab.
The bar might have to come out, and James said that won't be the last bit of redesign and reutilization within the structures.
"There's a lot of opportunity to make those choices," he said.
(Editor's note: This story has been changed to correctly state what school board approved CAAT's charter.)
