Lets Get With the Program.

http://news.wbfo.org/post/county-pledges-75-million-new-ecc-building-strings-attached

The WBFO post from last week talks about how ECC now has support from our county executive... Great.. Well, we are still happy that he sees the importance of making sure that the right programs are being taught in that building and that he wants a study done.

This summer, Bernice Radle, had the opportunity to address the City Council with a list of the programs that would be taught in this new building and they were ALL medical related. We don't imagine that this list has changed very much since the nursing and other health/medical related programs are very important at ECC.

Regardless of the classes, this money approval shows that our local government is not thinking regional as well as going against what our governor is pushing to do which is pushing our strength into our downtown core. Our regional government is supporting sprawl in a time where bus lines out to the campus are being taken away. We are supporting to build a new building when ECC claims the other buildings are out of date.. shouldnt we be putting funds into restoring the buildings we already have?

Sprawl, Sprawl, Sprawl. Why are we not building smarter and denser? Why is ECC running away from the medical campus when all others are pushing to be a part of it? Why does our County Executive support ECC despite the HUGE amount of public outcry on this issue? Why are we not thinking regionally?

Lets get with the program.

The Common Council Urges Poloncarz to Withdraw Support!

This appeared in the Buffalo News on Friday. Thank you to our council members for taking the future of downtown Buffalo seriously!

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/erie-county/article754728.ece

Here is the text:

The Buffalo Common Council is asking Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz to withdraw his support — and county funding — for a proposed academic building on the North Campus in Amherst.

Council members favor building near the City Campus, instead.

Building in Amherst “would be the latest in a long line of critical planning mistakes that have plagued the region,” Council members said in a letter to the county executive.

The letter — signed this week by all nine Council members — comes after the Poloncarz administration recently gave assurances that the county would keep its commitment to contribute $7.5 million for a new $30 million building on the Amherst campus, which has fallen into disrepair.

“At a time when other regions across the country are acknowledging the inevitable long-term negative economic and environmental impacts of ‘sprawl’ development,” the Council letter reads, “Erie County appears poised to actively encourage and fund it in the amount of $7.5 million.”

The letter goes on to say that sustaining three campuses — in Amherst, Buffalo and Orchard Park — is financially unsustainable for taxpayers.

A Poloncarz spokesman did not want to comment on the Council’s letter Thursday, because the county executive had not yet seen it.

County lawmakers last year agreed to designate $7.5 million for the project, with the expectation that the college and its foundation would raise another $7.5 million.

That money would be used to match $15 million in state aid that is in Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s proposed 2012-13 budget.

The Council is the latest to come out in opposition against the building on the North Campus.

Former Erie County Executive Joel A. Giambra— who fought for years with ECC officials to consolidate the three campuses downtown to help strengthen and revitalize the city’s core — has been the most vocal critic of plans for North.

A group that calls itself Young Citizens for ECC also has been voicing its opposition.

Members of that group received support from the Council months ago, when city lawmakers — including North District Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. and Ellicott District Council Member Darius G. Pridgen—tried to pressure ECC officials to reconsider the Amherst proposal.

So, it was no surprise the Council took the stance it did this week, said Jason Kulaszewski, a spokesman for Young Citizens for ECC.

“I’m glad to see that they did,” said Kulaszewski, an ECC alumnus. “It’s great to get that support from the people in power in the City of Buffalo.”

One of the points of contention has been the use of the proposed building.

Opponents argue that initial discussions were to use the building for health and science programs, but a building designed for that purpose would be better suited for the City Campus, near the emerging Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

ECC now says that’s not the case and the specific use for the building is still being determined.

ECC President Jack F. Quinn Jr. also did not know about the Council letter Thursday, but said he looks forward to ongoing discussions with the Council.

“Their views will be taken into consideration,” Quinn said.

jrey@buffnews.com

Letter Sent to the WNY Regional Economic Council.

Hello,
 
I write on behalf of Young Citizens for ECC, an advocacy group of students and young professionals dedicated to the growth and development of Erie Community College.
 
We are interested in bringing to the attention of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council an unprecedented opportunity to bring ECC's proposed $30 million Health Sciences Center for Excellence, slated for its North Campus, to the City Campus in downtown Buffalo. Such a facility could become the hub of the college's health sciences programs and contribute to the ongoing growth and development of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, now the leading job creator in Western New York.
 
We believe bringing this facility to the City Campus is the only alternative consistent with the smart growth and workforce development objectives of the WNY Regional Economic Development Strategy Plan. With 50% of all health sciences workers in the United States being educated at community colleges, it only makes sense for Erie Community College to become a more active partner in Buffalo's fast growing health sciences industry. The proposal simply must be shifted to the regional hub of downtown Buffalo where this investment can have the strongest impact.
 
The State University of New York recently submitted a proposed $15 million budget earmark to build this academic building at ECC's North Campus to Governor Cuomo for his consideration. The Governor has a 30-day window to amend this proposal. We are seeking the support of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council for such an amendment to shift this State investment to the City Campus where it can contribute to the ongoing development of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
 
We would be pleased to present our case at the next scheduled meeting of the WNY Economic Development Council. Thank you kindly for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (760) 408-7898 for further information.
 
Sincerely,
 
Bernice Radle
Chair, Young Citizens for ECC

Buffalo common council passes resolution!!

On Monday, the Buffalo common council voted and passed unanimously a resolution that asks ECC to build their health sciences center for excellence in downtown Buffalo instead of Amherst! Great news!!
We are very thankful to have such understanding, progressive political leaders in the Buffalo
Common council.
More information will be posted soon.

Young Citizens for ECC to Cuomo: "Over our dead bodies!"

Young Citizens for ECC to Cuomo: "Over our dead bodies!"

BUFFALO, NY -- Young Citizens for ECC delivered a message today to Gov. Andrew Cuomo: “The ECC North Campus expansion happens over our dead bodies!”

The group is protesting the State University of New York’s proposed $15 million budget earmark to build a Health Sciences Center for Excellence at ECC’s North Campus, rather than the City Campus where it can tap into emerging opportunities at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

“We are calling on Gov. Cuomo to stop this runaway freight train,” says Bernice Radle, chair of Young Citizens for ECC. “It’s time to bring this Health Sciences Center for Excellence downtown where it belongs.”

Young Citizens for ECC is calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to amend the earmark and shift the proposal to the City Campus, consistent with smart growth and workforce development goals of the Governor’s recently released WNY Regional Economic Development Strategic Plan.

“When Gov. Cuomo unveiled his regional economic development plan, there was reason for optimism,” says Bernice Radle. “Now we see this plan is already being ignored.”

SUNY forwarded the proposed earmark to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday for his consideration. The Governor has a 30-day window to amend the proposal.

“Buffalo has a long history of not implementing its plans, but we believe Gov. Cuomo can discontinue this pattern,” says Radle. “The smart growth solution to ECC expansion is to build in the regional hub of downtown Buffalo.”

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is now the leading job creator in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls region, which the Brookings Institute recently found had the nation’s 4th highest income growth among metro areas during the past two years.

“Why would ECC ignore an unprecedented opportunity to locate steps from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus?” asks Radle. “ECC's proposal is insanity, pure and simple.”

In recent months, both the UB Medical School and the Health Sciences Charter School have have either relocated or committed to relocate to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Young Citizens for ECC is counting on Gov. Cuomo and his Regional Economic Development Council to make Erie Community College a more active partner in Buffalo’s fast growing health sciences sector.

“It’s time to expand ECC’s City Campus,” declared Radle. “It’s downtown or bust!”

For more information, contact Bernice Radle, Chair of Young Citizens for ECC, at (760) 408-7898 or youngcitizensforecc@gmail.com.

Cuomo announces 15 million for ECC North?!

This came out today.
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/amherst/article714275.ece

Do not stress. We are working on this. We have been growing in numbers over the last 6 months and ramping up silently.
We will have an official press release soon.

Thanks for everyone's support!

Just some great examples of how the BNMC is spurring growth in the area.

We decided to show some great examples of how the BNMC is really spurring growth. ECC should really be on top of this and take advantage of it. Students want to be in a walkable, dense area with access to everything. We want to have a campus that can provide internship possibilities, networking and ultimately jobs. ECC needs to realize that the BNMC is our future and putting a heath and science building in Amherst does exactly the opposite of what we want.

Today the global vascular building was featured in Buffalorising because it is almost complete. This building will provide many jobs that ECC can provide education for. Great stuff!
http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/09/construction-watch-global-vascular-institute.html

Today another project was featured - this is housing related. This building has been rehabbed and was a spin off of all the jobs and growing housing demand that the BNMC is providing!
http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/09/1040-delaware-avenue-nears-completion-benefits-from-medical-campus-growth.html

Today on WBFO there was an article about the completion of St. Vincents Health and Science Charter School. This is a high school that felt that they needed to relocate from Tonawanda to the BNMC area in order to take advantage of the location and opportunities to link students to the industry. Additionally, they rehabbed a beautiful, vacant building that was abandoned by ECC!
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbfo/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1848948/WBFO.News/.Health.Sciences.Charter.School.opens.in.new.building