The unveiling of the new Erie Community College South Campus took place today. The new location is 50 Cobham drive, right off Big Tree Road near Route 219.
County Executive Mark Poloncarz was one of the many leaders at the ribbon cutting ceremony. He said the changes in student enrollment as well as rising maintenance cost were big factors in prompting the location change.
"This is not something that happened overnight. We knew there was a change with regards to the student enrollment, especially in the south towns, as it pertained to SUNY Erie," said Poloncarz.
"What you see over by Southwestern Boulevard worked in the 1980s and 1990s but it didn't work for today. It was too large. It was too old [and] the future maintenance associated with that in the next few years would be over $20 million," said Poloncarz.
A big part of the day's celebration highlighted the SUNY reconnect program, which will cover the cost of tuition, books and fees for New York State residents who are 25 to 55 years old, do not already have a degree, and are studying for an associate’s degree in certain high demand fields at SUNY schools.
Poloncarz in a separate interview with The Buffalo News said the old ECC south campus on Southwestern Boulevard will start “winding down” it’s operations this fall before officially being put on the market for sale.
