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A $1 billion "sustainable village" of research facilities, classrooms and housing is planned on 75 acres of the former Moffett Field Naval Air Station, officials of two local colleges and NASA Ames Research Center announced this week.

The new community, facing the south side of the landmark Moffett Hangar One, is a collaboration of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, the University of California at Santa Cruz and NASA Ames.

The village will serve as a model to test renewable-energy and resource-conservation systems, officials said.

"Being part of this unique education and research community would give Foothill-De Anza students new opportunities to learn in a world-class research environment," Foothill-De Anza Chancellor Martha Kanter said.

"It opens up exciting possibilities for preparing our students to enter Silicon Valley's clean-tech and green-tech workforce or pursue advanced study in science, technology, engineering and emerging career fields."

Foothill-De Anza and UC Santa Cruz have formed a nonprofit entity called University Associates-Silicon Valley LLC, which in December signed a lease with NASA for 75 acres in the NASA Research Park.

"Our vision is to seed innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability through the creative re-use of an important public asset for regional benefit," said UC Santa Cruz chancellor George Blumenthal.

"We aim to establish world-class programs and facilities dedicated to preparing the workforce of the future and to conducting research at the forefront of science and technology."

The next step for the partnership is to conduct an environmental evaluation in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, University Associates president William Berry said. The group is also soliciting community advice on how best to integrate the new development into surrounding cities, he said.

Funding of the development will be undertaken through a public-private partnership, officials said. University Associates will select a "master developer" to attract the capital investment needed to complete the project. The property will remain in federal ownership, with University Associates and the master developer responsible for managing and developing the site.

Collaborators hope construction will begin by 2013 with occupancy by 2015, but the timeline will depend on financial conditions, potential industry partnerships and CEQA compliance.

UC Santa Cruz officials said they expect other institutions -- including the California State University system and possibly Carnegie Mellon University and Santa Clara University -- to join the partnership.

UC Santa Cruz Vice Provost Joseph Miller thanked U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, and U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, D-Campbell, for their strong support of the lease agreement.

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