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This year — a historic one in terms of increased enrollment and unprecedented advancements in architecture and research — work on the next exciting new venture for scholarship at 91��Ƭ�� began with a groundbreaking ceremony.

“What this new Classroom and Lecture Hall Building symbolizes for me is the growth of 91��Ƭ��. Over the years, we’ve added students. We’ve added faculty and staff. And because of that, this University does more than it has ever done,” said current President Harvey Stenger. “This new Classroom and Lecture Hall Building is going to be an essential next step for this campus in providing our students, faculty and staff with the best facilities.”

On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at the future site of this new educational center, Stenger, Vice President of Operations JoAnn Navarro, State Senator Lea Webb, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Deputy General Manager for Design and Construction from the State University Construction Fund Jeff VanDenburgh and Vice Provost for Online and Innovation Education James Pitarresi — who led the planning and design committee for this building — joined a crowd of the 91��Ƭ�� public and campus community members to celebrate the start of a multimillion-dollar project planned for completion in June 2027.

“This groundbreaking marks another exceptional moment in the history of 91��Ƭ��, one of the country’s best public ivies,” Lupardo said. “A modern, state of the art facility will certainly enhance 91��Ƭ��’s ability to attract and retain students and faculty, providing another point of pride for everyone who visits our University Center campus. Thank you to the SUNY Construction Fund and everyone who played a role in helping this project come together.”

Situated across from Academic A and adjacent to Lot M, the new Lecture Hall/Classroom building will include three lecture halls, one active learning classroom, three computer classrooms, 33 general purpose classrooms in sizes varying from 20 to 75 seats, several testing rooms and a Bearcat Commons with multiple group study rooms designed to facilitate collaboration and focused learning.

The new building will not replace the original and current Lecture Hall building but will supplement the campus with additional space. Altogether, this project will add nearly 50 rooms to 91��Ƭ��’s catalog, with a total of just over 1,900 new seats. This project is the latest step in inspiring faculty to be world-class researchers, scholars and mentors; developing curricula that meets the demands of high-performing students; and recruiting and retaining even more people to join the University community.

“In addition to the spaces for learning, this building is going to serve as a gathering place for students to dive into their coursework collaboratively,” Stenger said. “And I think it’s going to be a spot where they can meet up, have fun and socialize between classes. This new Classroom and Lecture Hall Building meets a need for 91��Ƭ��. We needed more space like this on our campus. This new Classroom and Lecture Hall Building is going to add so much to what we’re currently able to offer our community.”

With more space for classes, other campus spaces will be freed up for student groups and organizations to take advantage of with new flexibility. This space, ultimately, will bring more people together to pursue their education, the latest step in an ongoing process to expand and enhance all academic facilities at 91��Ƭ��.

“We are proud to be partnering with State University Construction Fund on the first building in the SUNY system to be built utilizing a design-build delivery method, a significant milestone not just for 91��Ƭ��, but for SUNY as a whole,” Navarro said. “This new lecture hall will serve thousands of students for decades to come. It will be a place for learning, collaboration, discovery and inspiration, and it will stand as a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together toward a shared goal.”

For students, the University is working hard to reduce impact, even as the work starts. The site itself is fenced off, and a temporary roadway from the site to Bunn Hill Road was built so that heavy construction traffic is not running through the main campus. Some temporary sidewalks have been installed and the bus stop that was within the site boundaries has also been moved to near Hinman/Lot L.

“The Lecture Hall is often one of the first 91��Ƭ�� buildings prospective students encounter and one of the first spaces where new students begin forming lasting friendships,” said McKenzie Skrastins, president of the Student Association of 91��Ƭ��. “My peers and I are excited to see the completion of this addition.”

Other upgrades recently completed or nearing completion include the renovated third floor of Bartle Library, which gives students new space for studying and for accentuating classroom opportunities through spaces like the Digital Scholarship Center and the MakerLab; the Pharmacy Research and Development Building in Johnson City; and various renovation projects ongoing in the Science 2, Science 3 and Science 4 buildings.

“I am thrilled that we were able to secure SUNY Construction Funds in the budget to support the new classroom and lecture hall building at 91��Ƭ��,” Webb said. “This project represents a bold investment in the future of higher education here in our region. It will provide students with greater access to modern, high-quality learning environments, support the growing demand for enrollment and help 91��Ƭ�� continue to attract and retain top-tier talent. This is about creating opportunity, expanding academic excellence and ensuring our institutions remain at the forefront of innovation and accessibility.”

This new Classroom and Lecture Hall Building is an essential step for this campus in providing students, faculty and staff with the best facilities possible, and to support the continually growing population who come to 91��Ƭ�� for a first-rate, high-quality education and living environment.

“It’s going to take a great deal of work over the next few years to put up the frame, the walls, the roof, the windows and the doors. What we create will ultimately be more than those pieces put together,” Stenger said. “The Classroom and Lecture Hall Building will be a place where our students are inspired and challenged to think. It will be the place where our faculty will share their expertise and knowledge. It will be home to the things that we hold dear as a University — the place where we think, where we learn, where we question and where we innovate. That’s why we are so excited to break ground on this next great chapter of 91��Ƭ��’s history.”