Cities benefitting from private colleges investing in downtowns
The Business Review (Albany) - by Robin K. Cooper The Business Review
Private urban colleges around the region are investing more money in arts centers, music halls and sports venues to lure spectators, parents and visitors to campus.
The College of Saint Rose in Albany and Union College in Schenectady have spent more than $105 million over the past 12 years to improve their relationships with the urban neighborhoods around them.
The focus of private schools on community projects marks a drastic shift from the 1990s, when administrators were more concerned about finding ways to boost enrollment and attract prospective students to campus.
The move to promote urban college campuses highlights a new way of thinking that has developed in recent years. Decades ago, the state's public colleges solved space needs by moving out of cities. The University at Albany moved to the western edge of the city and the University at Buffalo moved most of its campus to the suburban town of Amherst. As a result, suburbs grew and cities struggled.
Saint Rose and Union have not only held their ground, they're fighting to improve their urban campuses. And their success is tied to businesspeople, trustees, graduates and others who have underwritten many of their projects.
'An engaged urban campus'
Sano-Rubin Construction Services of Albany will finish building the $14 million Massry Center for the Arts at Saint Rose this summer.
By fall, the 46,000-square-foot attraction will be open to the public and students. It's expected to draw spectators for art exhibits, music performances, lectures and other events.
"This is not just about Saint Rose," said Daniel Nolan, chair of the college's board of trustees. "This is part of our mission to be an engaged urban campus. We want to be involved with the people in the community."
The college has spent $70 million renovating the campus since President R. Mark Sullivan took over in 1996, including $50 million in the past six years.
The $8.7 million renovation and expansion of its Events and Athletics Center, completed in late 2004, nearly doubled the size of the building to 36,000 square feet. It also doubled gym seating to 1,000 from 500 seats.
Those projects have attracted a variety of investors.
The largest donation in school history came from Niskayuna residents Kenneth and Thelma Lally. Their $2 million gift helped underwrite construction of the 56,000-square-foot Thelma Lally School of Education building in 2001.
College trustee Carl Touhey also gave $2 million to Saint Rose. The Princeton University graduate is managing partner of The Latham Four Partnership, a property management company.
A third $2 million gift came from the family of fellow trustee Norman Massry.
Massry, whose family runs Tri City Rentals and Massry Realty Partners of Albany, is the school's longest-standing trustee.
"This is transforming the way we fundraise," said Karin Carr, the school's vice president of institutional advancement.
"Gifts have come from a number of sources," Carr said. "They understand the impact the Massry center will have. They know it will enrich the community by bringing in top-level performers."
The college also has worked with the city to develop an employee assistance housing program, encouraging more employees to live near campus.
In the past two years, five employees have taken advantage of the $5,000 housing assistance grant program.
And more than one-third, 205, of the college's 598 employees live in Albany.
Saint Rose also has bought and renovated 50 rundown buildings in the upper Madison Avenue neighborhood in recent years. Today, those old homes are used as student housing and college offices.
Improvements are part of an ongoing effort. Saint Rose earmarks up to $4 million of its annual $90 million budget to fund capital improvements.
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