This report describes the decision-making process and problems encountered during the 48 months it took to establish a new university, California State University at Monterey Bay, on the site of Fort Ord, a recently closed military base. After an introduction, the report is organized in four sections, one for each phase of the process. The first section, on the opportunity development phase, briefly reviews the decision to close the base. The second section, covering the recognition-of-opportunity phase, reports the genesis of the idea at San Jose State University and the idea's transition from an off-campus center to a full-service university. Details of the selection, modification, and adoption process are covered in the third section. These involved activities such as decision making by Cal State, legislative involvement, a needs assessment, and scheduling. The fourth section covers the implementation and monitoring phase. A conclusion identifies problems associated with the rapid pace of the transition, including pressure on the usual system of orderly checks and balances, failure to plan for facility maintenance, and the unclear role of the new residential campus in the California State University system. An appendix provides a detailed chronology of the conversion. (Contains 61 references.) (DB)