ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — SUNY Erie Community College held grand opening ceremonies on Thursday for its new South location, a state-of-the-art facility designed with student needs in mind.
"This is an exciting moment for our students," said Dr. Adiam Tsegai, president of SUNY Erie. "This is an awesome space for us to ensure that our students are getting the best academic experience."
The new facility, located on Cobham Drive, features modern classrooms, advanced learning environments, a library, gathering spaces, and offices for faculty and student services. Plans for the new location were announced in August 2024.
WATCH: SUNY Erie celebrates grand opening of new South location in Orchard Park
Tsegai emphasized that the new facility represents a significant step forward as SUNY Erie seeks to expand its reach and impact within Erie County.
“Our enrollment is heading in the right direction,” Tsegai said. “We also struggle like every other college in the area, but what I can tell you is that we’re moving in the right direction. I think this new space, as well as changing the way we operate and think, will help with enrollment.”
John King, chancellor of the State University of New York, noted that SUNY Erie’s enrollment for the upcoming fall semester looks promising.
“Having a beautiful space that students want to learn in is always going to help attract students," King said. "This will be a desirable place to come, and the programs we offer matter most.”
The new South location is less than three miles from the college's previous South Campus, which has been located on Southwestern Boulevard for over 50 years. Erie County owns both the land and buildings at the former location, and County Executive Mark Poloncarz indicated that change was necessary.
“The old South Campus was not in good shape, and it was too large,” he said.
Once SUNY Erie fully transitions to the new facility, Poloncarz mentioned that Erie County plans to sell the former South Campus property, with proceeds reinvested into SUNY Erie.
“There will be a lot of interest in that site from developers and potentially the Buffalo Bills themselves,” Poloncarz said. “But we’re not going to just hand it off to one party. We’re going to have a process in which we seek the highest bidder for it, and then sell it.”
The majority of programming has been relocated to the new South location, with classes scheduled to start this fall. The process of selling the former South Campus will not begin for at least a year.
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