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North Country Community College Selects Firm for Trade School Viability Study

  • 07/02/18

SARANAC LAKE, NY – The North Country Community College Board of Trustees recently voted to hire JMZ Architects and Planners of Glens Falls, NY, to complete a viability study on a proposed School of Applied Technology (SAT) in Ticonderoga.

JMZ was one of two companies that responded to a request for proposals issued by the college in May. Both proposals were fully vetted by a five-person review team that included members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, and administration. The review team unanimously recommended the selection of JMZ, and college President Dr. Steve Tyrell concurred.

“I want to thank the review team for their hard work,” says President Tyrell. “The important work that follows will involve JMZ Architects and Planners working closely with faculty, staff, and a wide range of regional stakeholders that are interested in how this project will move forward. Next week, we will be inviting key stakeholders to sit at the table to help us look at every angle and to ensure that we are positioned to make a wise decision once the viability study is completed and JMZ forwards a recommendation to the college.”

In the fall of 2016, the college completed a feasibility study on the need for vocational education opportunities in the North Country, but the proposal did not move forward at that time. Later, the college was approached by the Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance, which expressed interest in revisiting the proposal. It reviewed the data in 2016 feasibility study, updated it and augmented it with additional information. Over the past three months, a presentation on the merits of a proposed School of Applied Technology in Ticonderoga has been delivered to the college community and other regional stakeholders. Another presentation, which drew more than 30 people, took place Thursday evening at the college’s Ticonderoga campus.

JMZ will be responsible for reviewing the data collected from the 2016 feasibility study, the work completed by the Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance, and other essential factors so it can provide an independent analysis of the viability of the proposed school. It has assembled a team of professionals with substantial experience in community college program feasibility to conduct this important study.

“We are completely focused on higher education planning and design,” says JMZ President Tenée R. Casaccio. “Through our work with 39 community and technical colleges, we have formed a deep understanding of the space and equipment required to support a myriad of academic functions. We will use our knowledge of current best practices, emerging trends, and higher education space standards to arrive at a comprehensive picture of immediate and future space needs for the SAT.”

JMZ will conduct its analysis over the next few months, with final recommendations expected in October.

The college will also seek faculty and staff, and community partners from BOCES, trade unions, legislative entities, workforce development boards, higher education, school districts, and corporations to serve on an advisory board for the School of Applied Technology project. The advisory board will assist JMZ in vetting the work completed to date and help the college explore important questions, concerns, and possibilities that may not have been addressed in the initial feasibility study.

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