Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 3, 2023 17 Capital Community College's campus is in the former G. Fox department store building at 960 Main St. in downtown Hartford. PHOTO | COSTAR Higher Ambitions Amid funding uncertainty, CSCU eyes new $350M Hartford campus for Capital Community College By Robert Storace & Greg Bordonaro rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com A s downtown Hartford landlords search for new tenants amid millions of square feet of empty office space, a major new prospect could be hitting the market soon. Capital Community College (CCC) is considering a new downtown Hartford campus, school officials confirmed to the Hartford Business Journal, as its existing space in the former G. Fox department store building at 960 Main St. becomes increasingly outdated and in need of significant repairs. Terrence Cheng, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Univer- sities (CSCU) system, which includes CCC, said all options are on the table, but the pref- erence would be to buy a building downtown and renovate it for a new campus. The ability to do that, however, hinges on the availability of state funding. A building purchase and redevelopment would come with a hefty price tag — approximately $350 million — that may get pushback from policymakers, including Gov. Ned Lamont, as the state college system faces budget deficits and declining enrollment. In his two-year budget proposal, Lamont set aside $250,000 for a post-pandemic study of the entire CSCU system, including its finances, enrollment trends and future facility needs. Other options for Capital Commu- nity College, Cheng said, could include renovating existing space, leasing new space, or even building a new campus from the ground up. CCC currently occupies 11 floors and 304,000 square feet of CSCU- owned space in the G. Fox Building. Capital Community would need about the same square footage in any new location, Cheng said. He also stressed campus reloca- tion efforts are in the early stages and that the only prerequisite is that Capital Community College remain in downtown Hartford to serve as an economic driver for the city. "If you look at the revitalization of downtowns across America, higher education has much to do with it," Cheng said. "Our students would be within walking distance of multiple companies and industries, both large and small, that can offer experiential learning. Our students can receive an excellent education, but also be part of the city's and state's workforce. There is a tremendous upside not just for our students and the companies, but also from an economic impact standpoint." Appropriate funding The future campus upgrade is part of an ambitious new capital invest- ment program CSCU is currently lobbying state lawmakers to support. The plan — known as CSCU 2030 — was unveiled in January and outlines $2.1 billion in capital projects over a seven-year period, in addition to higher annual block grant funding to support new academic programs, student services and a free commu- nity college program. In terms of capital investments, the proposal asks for $50 million in fiscal 2024 for the purchase of a property and design of a new CCC campus. It asks for an additional $300 million for the campus build-out in fiscal 2027. It's unclear if the CSCU 2030 plan will garner legislative support. When asked if the Lamont admin- istration backs it, Chris Collibee, director of communications for the Office of Policy and Management, said the Democratic governor's two-year budget plan proposed in February recommends $253.3 million in capital funding in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 for CSCU, which oversees the state's community colleges, four state universities — Central, Western, Eastern and Southern — and the online Charter Oak State College. If approved, that funding would enhance CSCU's ability to allocate and prioritize resources to address needed campus upgrades, Collibee said, "as well as those projects that help to meet the student demand for programs and services." However, Collibee also noted that the CSCU system has experienced an approximate 30% enrollment decline over the last decade, which could impact future funding decisions. Capital Community College's enroll- ment decline has been even more severe, Collibee said, down 43% from fall 2010 to 2,395 students today. CSCU officials countered that capital improvements within the public college system are funded through state bonding, which has been restricted in recent years. That has forced CSCU to use operating funds for capital projects, exacerbating its financial challenges. In October, Cheng warned state lawmakers of a looming $220 million deficit in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 for the CSCU system, driven by unfunded pension and contractual obligations, declining enrollment and other factors. Repurposing challenges Regardless of the funding amount, Capital Community College's campus is in need of an upgrade, Cheng said. CCC moved into its current location in 2002, and the historic 105-year-old former department store property was last renovated 20 years ago. The facility, Cheng said, doesn't meet the school's needs to support in-demand programs like nursing, and restrictions within the building create inherent repurposing challenges. "The current facilities are not appropriate nor sufficient for that level of learning," Cheng said. "During The five most popular areas of study at Capital Community College include: HEALTH PROGRAMS (not including nursing) 517 students NURSING 382 students BUSINESS 286 students HUMAN SERVICE 206 students IT 178 students Source: Capital Community College Terrence Cheng

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