Mission College has received a $250,000 gift from local real estate broker and former Santa Clara mayor Gary Gillmor to name the college’s newest building.

Given to Mission College as part of its naming opportunity campaign, the donation will name the new building the Gary G. Gillmor and Family Interdisciplinary Center. The 118,000-square-foot building, set to be complete in spring 2014, is the first phase in replacing the Main Building and will house a wide range of departments.

“All of our donations are going toward the technology and equipment fund that will keep all of the disciplines relevant throughout the lifetime of the building,” said Laurel Jones, Mission College president. “These donations will continue to promote current quality education for years to come.”

Gillmor has a deep love for both Mission College and the city of Santa Clara. He studied at Santa Clara University and later taught at Buchser High School. He also taught at West Valley College in the 1960s and was elected mayor of Santa Clara, serving in that role from 1969 to 1977.

While serving as mayor and running a successful real estate business, Gillmor masterminded the sale of land to the West Valley college district to build the campus that became Mission College. Later, when the district realized it had excess land at the site, Gillmor pitched the idea of a long-standing land lease to the district, which became the Mercado Shopping Center and the buildings for EMC² and MacAfee to the south and west of the college.

“My daughter Lisa and Mission College President Laurel Jones felt I was instrumental in the development and ongoing success of Mission College and that my history with the college, my leadership and success should be noted and honored in some fashion,” Gillmor said. “Having a building named after me makes me very proud. It is an honor.”

 All five of Gillmor’s children attended a community college and, as the first in his family to have attended college, Gillmor sees community colleges as a boon for everyone. “Colleges are the key to success for everything,” he said.

Jones said the college welcomes donations to name each of the building’s floors as well as instructional suites and rooms within the building, which was funded through Measure H.