Monroe Community College Officials announce that all state funding for the new downtown campus is in place. The budget adopted by the state legislature includes over $6 million for the State Street campus.
President Anne Kress says this money was actually supposed to come through the last state budget, but it was not due to an error.
"That was a technical glitch that they corrected this cycle and in this year's enacted budget, our project plus over a dozen community college capital projects have been fully funded. So we're very excited about that."
Kress says the money is already allocated to several special projects, including a green roof.
"It's a thatchy, grass-type material that will actually grow on the roof. It provides wonderful insulation, but then also, rather than reflecting heat out into the environment, it really does create a completely different environment around the campus."
Kress says the green roof is a sustainability feature as well as an opportunity to integrate modern and environmentally friendly building techniques into the curriculum. Other projects include building a more robust bookstore and food service area.
The new campus is located at 321 State Street, and expected to welcome its first class of students in the Fall of 2017.
