Cayuga Community College has resumed its search for property on which to build a bigger satellite campus in Fulton and will hold tuition costs for the 2010-11 school year. School officials recently issued a request for proposals, asking anyone who is selling a large piece of property – with or without a commercial building -- to contact the college, CCC...
Cayuga Community College has resumed its search for property on which to build a bigger satellite campus in Fulton and will hold tuition costs for the 2010-11 school year.
School officials recently issued a request for proposals, asking anyone who is selling a large piece of property – with or without a commercial building -- to contact the college, CCC President Daniel Larson said.
“This is really just exploratory to find out what’s out there,’’ Larson said.
The college wants to build a bigger centralized campus because school officials say classrooms and parking are overcrowded at CCC’s current satellite facilities at Fulton Commons shopping plaza.
“We need the room because our enrollment is growing immensely in Fulton … and we’re basically in a strip mall,’’ said John Camardo, president of the college board of trustees.
So far 2,823 are registered to attend fall classes at CCC’s campuses in Auburn and Fulton, a 10 percent increase from last year, the college said. In 2009-10, enrollment rose by 31 percent.
Meanwhile, college trustees recently voted to keep tuition at its current rate of $3,560 a year.
“We need to look out for our students. That’s our number one priority. We need to make sure it’s an affordable education,’’ Camardo said.
Earlier this year, CCC planned to buy the former P & C store at Fulton’s River Glen Square area, off Route 481, but the deal fell through when a cash buyer bought the property. The college planned to convert the P & C parcel into a centralized campus with athletic fields and student housing and open the new campus by September 2011 The projected cost was $11.3 million.
College officials remain hopeful of buying property and building a new campus by next September, Larson said. The college is looking to acquire a building with 90,000 to 120,000 square feet of space on 50 to 100 acres. It would also consider new construction on a large parcel of land.
“We know there are a number of properties in Oswego County that would fit,’’ Larson said.
You can reach Scott Rapp at srapp@syracuse.com or 289-4839