Clinton Community College officials announced Wednesday that faculty, staff and programs will move to the SUNY Plattsburgh campus, emphasizing it is not a merger, but a co-location. But what happens to the existing buildings? As WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports, officials say it’s too early to determine the physical property’s fate.
Clinton Community College is located on 100 acres at Bluff Point overlooking Lake Champlain just south of Plattsburgh. It has four main buildings, small service buildings and an alumni and foundation cottage.
The property is owned by Clinton County and the legislature currently budgets $3.4 million to the institution. Legislature Chair Mark Henry says it’s too early to determine the ultimate fate of the buildings and grounds.
“It will be a while. We are going to have to send out an RFP for feasibility studies," Henry said. "Get somebody in there to see what the best use for that property would be. But right now, we want to focus on getting the move completed, that the students are taken care of, that things are transparent and clear for all of the employees there. That will take some time to get that sorted out. Once the dust is settled there then I think we will in earnest start looking at feasibility studies and possibilities for that property.”
As news of the plan to co-locate on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus emerged, some concerns were raised about Clinton Community’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, or IAM, a state-of-the-art facility for multi-technology learning and training programs. Board chair David Favro says plans for the institute are yet to be worked out.
“That’s a very unique building and that building won’t be able to be moved," Favro noted. "But keep in mind that it provides a very valuable resource to our community. The problem right now is the state of New York funds colleges based on full time equivalent head count and with the Advanced Manufacturing Institute we provide certificate programs. So that means we don’t get any finding or any reimbursement from the state because of the formulary. So we need to take a different look at that and say how can we provide services that need to be provided but at a much more fiscally responsible approach”
The IAM serves as a regional workforce training center. North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas says SUNY Central has reassured them they will fashion “a stronger platform to not only sustain the IAM but to finally meet its potential."
“The reassurances were sought both because of the importance of the program but also because it can’t be moved," said Douglas. "It’s a purposely designed and equipped facility that isn’t anything like they have at SUNY Plattsburgh. Actually we feel like the IAM has been kind of stuck in place for the last three years and some kind of shaking up was needed to reengineer how it’s operated and to get it on the track that we need it on. We feel very strongly that’s going to be a part of the positive outcome of this whole process.”
Douglas is confident in the future redevelopment of the Clinton Community College campus.
“We have a pretty good track record in the Plattsburgh region of redeveloping sites. We have a growing economy. We have proximity to Montreal. Possibilities will emerge.”
Reuse and redevelopment of the property will not occur for several years as the relocation of faculty, programs and students is expected to continue through 2025.
