The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry completed the permitting process to build a new dormitory after securing a strip of city land to be used as a parking lot, said Brenda Greenfield, director of the ESF College Foundation.

With the permitting process finished, ESF is on track to break ground in May as originally planned, Greenfield said.

The land was purchased from the city for $35,000, a price determined by an independent appraiser. The Syracuse Common Council approved the purchase Wednesday but is legally required to place it on the agenda for two weeks of public notice before they officially vote to approve it, Greenfield said.

Although the council hasn’t voted yet, ESF does not anticipate running into any problems with the purchase, Greenfield said.

The piece of land secured by the college, located on the 300 block of Fineview Place, was previously used by residents for parking and as unofficial parking for Carrier Dome events. Greenfield said there was no opposition from the Common Council to use the land as a parking lot for the new dormitory due to the previous use of the area.

ESF has already acquired land on Oakland Street, where the dorm will be built. The 18 houses that are currently on the land were purchased by ESF between August 2004 and August 2009. The college spent $3,905,139 on buying the houses, according to an article published in The Daily Orange Dec. 14.

The buildings will be demolished in May to make room for the new construction, Greenfield said.

Now that the permitting process is complete, ESF can move ahead with the final plans for the dorm, Greenfield said.

‘We’re working on securing financing for the project and finishing up the construction designs,’ she said.

Financing for the $30 million project will come mainly from bond financing with the Onondaga Civic Development Corporation. The money will be paid back over several years, Greenfield said.

All major construction plans are finished, and only decisions about minor elements remain.

‘We need to get to the point where we have finalized plans, like knowing where the electrical boxes will go,’ Greenfield said.

Plans for the first ESF-only dormitory were announced in September. The building will house ESF freshmen beginning in the fall 2011 semester.

jlsiart@syr.edu

Published on January 20, 2010 at 12:00 pm