By Matt Youngfrau
LOCH SHELDRAKE — August 24, 2001 – Looks like the local college may have gotten an early jump on dormitory ownership.
For the last several years, Sullivan County Community College has been looking to establish their own dormitories. While the college cannot legally own or run dorms, the non-profit Sullivan County Community College Dormitory Corporation has gotten all the approvals to build their own dorms on the SCCC campus.
Earlier this year, an anonymous donor gave the college a $2,000,000 donation to build the dorms. Another $1,000,000 was pledged with the proviso it be matched by the college. The SCCC Foundation agreed to do just that. The remaining $8 million for the $12 million project was put out on the bond market.
The dorms are scheduled to begin construction during the upcoming school year. Students should be able to move into the dorms for the Fall 2002 semester. The dorm will feature 320 beds for freshmen only.
However, yesterday, the SCCC Dormitory Corporation announced the purchase of College Dorms, a private student housing facility near the college's Liberty entrance, across from Nina's Restaurant in Loch Sheldrake. College Dorms will be renamed Campus Village.
In a press release, SCCC President Dr. Mamie Howard Golladay stated, "Although the Dormitory Corporation is already proceeding with the construction of new, on-campus dormitories, its members realized that the 320-bed facility will still not provide enough space to accommodate our student housing needs. They deliberated long and hard over the options available to the college and decided that College Dorms had one of the best housing facilities within proximity to the campus. We are most fortunate that they were able to secure the funding to make this a reality."
It was not released where the funding to purchase the dorms came from, nor was it stated how much money the dorms cost. That information will be made public once the deal is finalized, said college officials.
What is known is that the deal included 18 townhouses, an office building and a maintenance building. The inventory of furniture and equipment was also a part of the deal. Campus Village can house approximately 84 students and is currently at a 98 percent occupancy rate.
"This purchase is consistent with the mission of the Sullivan County Community College Dormitory Corporation to provide safe, secure housing for the students of the college," SCCC Dormitory Corporation Treasurer Elizabeth Kubenik said in the press release. (SCCC Dormitory Corporation Vice-President Robert Ernst and Kubenik were instrumental in the process.)
According to Ernst, "The corporation believed that this purchase would be an important component of the college's overall plan to provide quality housing to our students. It is also a great complement to the new, on-campus dorm project scheduled to begin construction this fall. The Dormitory Corporation is pleased to be a part of enhancing the college experience for our students residing in the new Campus Village."
The Dormitory Corporation has already begun to hire staff for Campus Village. Karyle Woods was named Coordinator of Residence Life and Victor Brooks is Maintenance Specialist. Both worked for College Dorms.
The new semester begins on September 5.