JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. — Binghamton University has purchased land in Johnson City that will serve as the home for its future School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
A contractor will build the new 70,000-square-foot facility on Corliss Ave. in Johnson City, adjacent to Wilson Medical Center.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement during a visit to Binghamton University on Thursday, his office said in a news release distributed the same day.
“Close proximity to a hospital is a critical aspect of site selection for a school of pharmacy because of the need for hospital rotations for students,” Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said in the news release. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have finalized this location in Johnson City and thank the governor for his strong support of our plan to establish the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to serve our students and our state.”
Cuomo allocated $10 million in capital resources to support initial planning and development costs, including the acquisition and site preparation, his office said.
Construction on the new facility will begin in spring 2015, with completion expected in 2018.
New York expects the facility’s construction to support “hundreds” of construction jobs. Once it opens, the state projects the school will create more than 100 new private-sector jobs annually and generate an annual regional-economic impact of about $100 million.
Binghamton University intends to enroll 320 students in the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program and 60 students in their Ph.D. program once the new school reaches full capacity.
“This School of Pharmacy will further distinguish Binghamton as a world-class educational institution, provide research and learning opportunities to hundreds of students and add jobs to the local community, and I am very excited to see it get underway in Johnson City,” Cuomo said in the news release.
The state set aside funding in the budget for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cuomo said, calling it “a down payment on a brighter and more prosperous future for the region.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com