State Police to lease Cazenovia College campus for new academy site

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. — After shutting its doors for good at the end of the spring 2023 semester, Cazenovia College has a new role going forward as the New York State Police leases the site for a new State Police Auxiliary Academy.

The college announced last December it would close at the end of the spring semester due to ongoing financial issues compounded by declining enrollment and the COVID-19 pandemic. A projected deficit of several million dollars made it impossible for the college to open again in the fall of 2023, campus officials said at the time.

Instead, another type of educational institution is coming to the Cazenovia College. campus. A two-year lease, beginning Aug. 1, brings the State Police academy to the site. The lease includes the main college campus buildings along with the athletic center. A separate management company will be contracted to maintain the campus buildings and grounds and operate the dining facility. That company will hire people, including current and former college employees, to provide those services.

“We are pleased that we were able to arrange the lease with the State Police and avoid having the campus vacant for a period of time,” Kenneth Gardiner, chair of the Cazenovia College’s board of trustees, said in a press release from the college. “The fact that they are hiring several of our employees is an added bonus.” He went on to express appreciation to college President David Bergh and his leadership team for their work to make the lease arrangement a reality.

“We welcome the New York State Police to the Cazenovia community,” Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler said. “This is a positive step in the repurposing of the college campus for ongoing educational and training use while at the same time providing a two-year window for further exploration of a more permanent transition of the campus at the heart of our village.”

Cazenovia College’s closure on June 30 came just shy of the college’s 200th anniversary. Founded in 1824 as Genesee Seminary, the college had about 746 full- and part-time students at the time the closure was announced.

Now, with the State Police leasing it, the campus will host police recruits beginning in October. The campus can accommodate up to 275 recruits and 115 instructors in basic school.

More than $66 million was included in the New York State budget to fund two additional State Police classes. The expansion will accelerate the rebuilding of the State Police force and increase the number of troopers. The State Police will increase the number of community stabilization units around the state from 16 to 25.

Applications for the trooper entrance exam opened July 1. Individuals can apply to take the exam through Oct. 1. Applicants must be U.S. citizens between 20 and 34 years of age and hold a high-school diploma or equivalent. The starting salary for troopers is $59,612 and increases to $84,331 after one year.

The State Police redesigned its recruitment program to reach more potential female and minority candidates and has a goal to increase the percentage of female recruits to 30 percent by 2030.