CACDA announces college campus strategic plan is underway

CAZENOVIA — In December 2022, the Cazenovia College Board of Trustees announced that the historic institution would permanently close following the spring 2023 semester due to financial concerns.

Founded in 1824, Cazenovia College was the eighth-oldest private, independent college in New York State and the 28th-oldest independent college/university in the United States.

Shortly after the closure announcement, the Cazenovia Area Community Development (CACDA), in partnership with the Village of Cazenovia, applied for and was awarded state and federal funding to conduct a strategic plan for the future use of the campus.

“CACDA applied on behalf of the village, and we were awarded $40,000 from Empire State Development under the Strategic Planning and Feasibility Studies Working Capital Grant Program and $166,000 from the federal Economic Development Administration under the Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance program,” said Lauren Lines, CACDA’s executive director.

According to a July 15 CACDA press release, the organization believes that moving forward with a deliberate planning process is an important next step given the location of the main campus in the heart of the village and the significant economic impact of the college closure.

“Occupancy of the campus by the New York State Police has provided the time needed in the interim to work towards potential future uses,” the press release states.

The New York State Police is leasing a large portion of the former college properties for use as the NYS Police Basic School Auxiliary Academy.

The current lease, which began Aug. 1, 2023, is for two years with two one-month extensions.; it includes the buildings that make up the main campus, plus the athletic center.

The police academy’s first class of recruits arrived and began training in October 2023.

According to Mayor Kurt Wheeler, the NYS Police is in discussions to extend its current lease agreement.

“While the state police training academy has been an excellent interim use, the long-term goal is to pursue options that will replicate the economic impact and vitality that the college contributed to the community,” Wheeler said in the CACDA press release.

Early this year, the village, with assistance from CACDA, engaged with planning consultants MRB Group and sub-consultant EDR to assist with the development of the strategic plan.

“This effort builds off of prior community engagement and planning, using that feedback and guidance as a foundation for considering potential uses,” the press release states. “After reviewing this existing work, the consulting team has completed a market analysis to better understand demographic, economic, and real estate trends in the area.”

This information will be helpful when assessing the viability of various redevelopment options throughout the planning process.

The consulting team also did a site visit, reviewed building and infrastructure drawings, conducted interviews, and started mapping out potential reuses for individual buildings.

The press release states that all this work will result in a conceptual redevelopment strategy that is grounded in data and responsive to community needs. The strategy will also account for and make recommendations regarding the site’s existing infrastructure, ensuring that needed updates and expansions are known in advance.

According to CACDA, this will be a tool for marketing and will assist potential developers by “reducing uncertainties and jumpstarting their due diligence.”

“This strategic planning process will not only help to identify viable future uses but could also support future funding applications for implementation,” Lines said in the press release. “We are looking forward to providing opportunities for stakeholder and public input later this summer and early fall.”

On July 17, Lines stated that the consultant was in the process of figuring out the best way to gather stakeholder and public input.

CACDA is an independent, not-for-profit community-based organization that works to enhance economic vitality and preserve the rural, historic character of the region through education, consensus-building, and project implementation.

For more information, visit cacda.net or contact Lines at [email protected].