SUNY/CUNY Capital Programs on Hold

Table of Contents New York Building Congress Salutes Industry’s Best Nagaraja Outlines Ambitious Timeline for MTA Expansion COP Hears Details of City’s Hudson Yards Plan Boat Tour Focuses on Waterfront Development Opportunities School Officials Tout New Five-Year Capital Plan Larry Silverstein on WTC Redevelopment Progress SUNY/CUNY Capital Programs on Hold

Starting in the late 1990's, the state embarked on a multi-billion dollar Capital Investment Program, which addressed critical health and safety needs, supported the integration of technology into classrooms and labs and improved the overall quality of student life at both the State University of New
York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) systems.

Unfortunately, the momentum is being threatened due to the turmoil surrounding last spring's passage of the State budget for the current fiscal year. Despite detailed and strategic funding requests, a significant portion of the CUNY and SUNY capital program was left unfunded.

Specifically, funding was tabled for critical capital improvements to academic facilities at 45 senior college campuses throughout the SUNY and CUNY systems. The appropriations, which remain on hold, amount to $1.7 billion in capital funding for SUNY senior colleges and $1 billion for CUNY senior colleges. The deferral is impeding necessary physical upgrades to institutions that serve hundreds of thousands of students statewide.

To its credit, the State Legislature did adopt a budget that included appropriations for a host of SUNY hospital and dormitory capital projects, as well as for capital improvements to community college facilities operated by both the SUNY and CUNY systems.
New York Building Congress President Richard T. Anderson recently sent
letters to Governor George E. Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver urging them to authorize the outstanding funding requests.

In the letter, Anderson stated, “The City and State’s educational facilities have long been major contributors to the region’s long-term economy and fundamental to its quality of life. If New York State is to remain a conducive environment for business growth, it must prepare the next generation of leaders to meet the diverse challenges of the 21st Century marketplace. This worthwhile mission cannot be accomplished without a firm commitment to continuously modernize the City and State’s higher education facilities.”