May 3, 2006

Broome Community College To Host News Conference To
Showcase Student Presentation For Revitalization Of Downtown Binghamton
-BCC Civil Engineering Technology, Interior design & Communications Students Will Present Plan To City Leaders-

(TOWN OF DICKINSON, NY) Broome Community College President Dr. Laurence Spraggs today announced the College will host a news conference to showcase a presentation outlining plans to revitalize sections of downtown Binghamton. The news conference, with presentation to follow, will take place at 3:00 p.m., Friday, May 5, 2006 in the Decker Community Room at the Broome County Library.

Joining Dr. Spraggs will be Mayor Matthew Ryan, members of Binghamton City Council, representatives of the Downtown Binghamton Business Association and Renaissance Group, downtown residents, merchants, business owners, community leaders, as well as various City Officials.

The Revitalization of Downtown Binghamton Project involves creating and designing a renovation plan for a designated section of the City of Binghamton. A total of 18 BCC students have been working on the Revitalization of Downtown Binghamton Project during the spring 2006 semester. There were 3 teams of 6 students with 2 in Civil Engineering Technology, 2 in Interior Design and 2 in Communications.

“These students are not talking about the theory of revitalization of a community, but rather are taking a hands on role in shaping the community they live in,” said President Spraggs. “This project was done in conjunction with previous and current City leaders and is a perfect example of student participation, community building and how the College can serve as an incubator for job training and economic development. It’s critical our region attract and retain young professionals who will be our future leaders.”

The plan is designed to assist in ongoing revitalization efforts as the City moves forward with the $29 million dollar downtown Community and Education Development Center, which will house BU and BCC programs. The buildings identified for revitalization include the Stone Opera House on Chenango Street, the Midtown Mall on Court Street and the Fair Store on Wall Street, all located in downtown Binghamton.

Each team has utilized community members as resources, researched and interviewed local historians such as Gerald Smith to capture the history of the buildings, and have developed conceptual ideas, possibilities and visions for these buildings which will be presented through PowerPoint presentations. The presentations will include video clips, CAD drawings, 3D fly-throughs of the buildings, exterior renderings and complete interior designs.

“Through “project-based learning”, we hope that this project has taught entrepreneurial skills to students within the Civil Engineering Technology, Interior Design and Media Arts curriculums,” said Kelli Ligeikis, Chair of the Civil Engineering Technology Program at BCC. “Through teamwork and integrated learning, skills such as leadership, consensus building, conflict resolution, design presentation, analysis of clients needs, public speaking, cost analysis and marketing have been learned as students from these diverse areas have come together to provide practical service to the community through a real life project.”

The Revitalization of Downtown Binghamton Project was made possible through a Vocational Technical Education Act Grant, which was dedicated to providing funding for Entrepreneurial projects.