PLATTSBURGH — The announcement that Clinton Community College would be relocating to SUNY Plattsburgh left many to wonder what will become of its campus buildings.
IAM
One building of particular concern is CCC’s Institute of Advanced Manufacturing (IAM), a 30,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2017. It has since housed Clinton’s technology programs, flexible teaching and learning space and courses for manufacturers to advance their workforce.
North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas offered some insight into what can be done with the building.
“In the specific case of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing which cannot relocate, the Chamber reports a pledge from SUNY Central ‘to lead a robust commitment to fashioning a stronger platform to not only sustain the IAM but to finally meet its potential,’” he said.
“We encourage support for this overall transition as many outstanding details are worked through over the coming weeks and months.”
He said the process CCC is going through is not unique to them.
“The same demographics which are hitting all schools and employers, exacerbated by the lingering impacts of shutdown during the pandemic as well as the high costs of a campus oversized for current and future operations, brings us to a challenging but necessary move, understanding the college’s importance resides with its programs and not with its specific location,” Douglas said.
“With this latter point centrally in mind, we are embracing this move and have offered our support and engagement to SUNY Central, CCC, SUNY Plattsburgh and Clinton County in the multi-faceted process of planning and implementation now underway.”
POLICE ACADEMY
Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateauguay Lake) shared his concerns with the future utilization of the IAM building and the Zone 9 police academy training facility at McKinley Cottage on the CCC campus, which is currently being built.
“I don’t want to put the facilities ahead of the people. There’s many dedicated people and careers that have been built and are with this place, and I understand that. It’s grown upon me in the past several years,” Jones said.
“But the IAM facility, the state did invest $10 million into that facility probably 10 years ago they were awarded the money. How do we partner up with that? … We’re gonna need to make investments in that and utilize that building definitely more so than it has been. We have a police academy with funding that’s being built right now as we speak. How does that play into it?”
CCC Board of Trustees Chair and Clinton County Sheriff David Favro assured that McKinley Cottage’s future will be discussed in the coming months.
“My hope is that we will have those talks with the county to keep it and enhance it,” Favro said.
“And that’s where we’re going to do the police and EMS training and future emergency response training. That’s our hope is to keep it. Those are conversations that will have to be had through the county because they own the property, they’re responsible for it. But I feel pretty optimistic that we’ve invested enough in that … it’s still a great location.”
BEST USE
Molly Ryan, Executive Director of the Clinton County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) said the county will work to ensure the best use of the buildings is found.
“The announcement regarding the relocation of Clinton Community College provides both an opportunity to ensure the longevity and growth of this long standing higher educational institution, while simultaneously presenting an opportunity for economic growth in our region,” Ryan said.
“We applaud this forward thinking by College Officials, the Board of Trustees, and Clinton County. As partners and stewards of industrial and economic growth in Clinton County, the CCIDA looks forward to supporting this initiative and will work with the County to find the highest and best use of the remaining property.”