Dedication Ceremony Signals Official Opening of On-Campus Housing
SANBORN, N.Y. (Aug. 29, 2008) — Niagara County Community College and Student Housing Village Corporation (SHVC) officially opened the college’s new $19.3 million, 308-bed, 12-acre on-campus student housing project, The Village College Suites, with a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting Friday, marking the first new building on the NCCC campus since opening in 1973.
NCCC representatives and guests, including NCCC Board of Trustee Chairman Marvin E. Maziarz, NCCC Trustee and Niagara County Legislative Chairman William L. Ross, Niagara County Legislators Richard Updegrove and Renae Kimball, Jeffrey Smetana, United Development Corp. Executive Vice President, NCCC Student Senate President Mike Witter, Town of Cambria Supervisor Wright Ellis, Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte, Senator George D. Maziarz, and NCCC President Dr. James P. Klyczek helped commemorate the new building with a dedication, ribbon cutting, and reception.
“Through the efforts of many, this building is now a reality,” Klyczek said. “The college has always been such an asset to Niagara County and surrounding areas, and now we have added another element to retain and attract students.”
Funded through a tax-exempt bond issuance through the Niagara County IDA, The Village College Suites offers apartment-style suites of up to four private bedrooms. The suites are fully furnished with a kitchen table and chairs, dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, living room couch with a coffee table and bedroom entertainment cabinet. Each student also receives a bed, desk and three-drawer dresser.
Students will also enjoy a 25-foot stone fireplace in the great room on the second floor. The room includes six Douglass Fir exposed ceiling trusses, a 42-inch flat screen television and easy access too the adjoining library and lounge. The second floor also has a music room featuring a wall piano with sound-deafening walls and ceiling.
A 925-square foot fitness center on the first floor includes state-of-the-art fitness equipment, including Universal weights, treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bike and a full range of free weights.
“Student housing is an important asset in our efforts to retain market share and recruit students to Niagara County Community College,” Klyczek said. “Nearly two thirds of the community colleges in New York State, including all of our neighboring counties, either have student housing on campus or are looking into the issue. Student housing supports the growth of academic programs.”
The idea for student housing at NCCC began in 1999 and the NCCC Board of Trustees authorized a marketing study in the spring of 2004 that determined demand for such a facility. The Board also authorized a feasibility study in the fall of 2005 that set in motion the phased in approach to providing student housing for NCCC students.
The facility was developed by United Corporation and its partners (Christa Construction, EYP Architects, and others).
