KEUKA PARK — Keuka Commons, a student union and mixed-use facility, is the first new building on the Keuka College campus in more than 40 years. The school formally opened the structure on Aug. 18, the Finger Lakes regional economic-development council (FLREDC) announced. The building serves as the new home of Keuka’s Division of Business […]
KEUKA PARK — Keuka Commons, a student union and mixed-use facility, is the first new building on the Keuka College campus in more than 40 years.
The school formally opened the structure on Aug. 18, the Finger Lakes regional economic-development council (FLREDC) announced.
The building serves as the new home of Keuka’s Division of Business and Management and the Center for Professional Studies, the FLREDC said.
Keuka Commons is also home to the college bookstore, the Office of Health and Counseling, Center for Business Analytics & Health Informatics, Wertman Office for Digital Education, and the Wolf Den Café.
Founded in 1890, Keuka College is located on the shore of Keuka Lake in Yates County in the Finger Lakes.
The FLREDC provided funding for the project, council co-chairs Danny Wegman and Anne Kress said in a FLREDC news release. Wegman is CEO of Wegmans Food Markets and Kress is president of Monroe Community College.
“This project marks a major milestone for the college and for the entire Yates County community. Keuka College is a key contributor to the area’s economy, and the Council’s investment in its future will help the college better serve its students and help the region grow,” they added.
The FLREDC through Empire State Development provided Keuka College with a $250,000 grant for the Commons construction project. It didn’t disclose in its release the total cost of the construction project.
Keuka College called for the construction in its long-range strategic plan.
The Penn Yan–based Finger Lakes Economic Development Center [FLEDC] is “excited” for the school and “would like to congratulate” it on the opening of Keuka Commons, Steve Griffin, CEO of FLEDC, said in the news release.
“Keuka College is a major economic driver for Yates County and their continued investment in their campus is a welcomed sight. The opportunities that come with the opening of Keuka Commons, including housing their new Center for Business Analytics and Health Informatics, hold great promise for future economic development initiatives generated by the school, for Yates County and the entire Finger Lakes Region. We enjoy our close partnership with Keuka College and look forward to what is to come.”
This announcement complements “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s blueprint to generate economic growth and community development, the FLREDC said.
The region is accelerating Finger Lakes Forward with a $500 million state investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last December.
The $500 million investment will “incentivize” private business to invest more than $2.5 billion. The region’s plan projects up to 8,200 new jobs, according to the FLREDC.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com