For Immediate Release
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5/11/2015
Ground Broken on Grant Campus Learning Resource Center
Photo L to R: Suffolk County Community College Grant Campus Executive Dean James Keane, College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay, Dick O’Kane, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk, Suffolk County Legislators: Monica Martinez, Sara Anker, Thomas F. Barraga, Robert Trotta and Leslie Kennedy, at right Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy, Jr.
Ground was broken for a new $28.2 million, 74,198 square foot Learning Resource Center (LRC) and library on Suffolk County Community College’s Michael J. Grant Campus, Brentwood, today.
"The new Learning Resource Center will serve as a powerful symbol of the value that the College and its students bring to the vitality of our shared community," said Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay in his remarks to the gathered elected officials, students, staff, faculty members, administration, community members, labor leaders and members of the college's board of trustees.
Funding for the building is shared equally between the County and New York State.
“Libraries are not only repositories of knowledge, but also of our aspirations,” said, Suffolk County Community College Board of Trustees Chairwoman Dafny Irrizary. “The new Learning Resource Center will be a critical component of our college that will enable us to better serve our students and the communities surrounding our Michael J. Grant Campus.”
“I am pleased to see the progress of the new Learning Resource Center. It’s important that we provide students with the means to further their academic studies and knowledge. I know that this new building will be instrumental in assisting Suffolk Community College Students in their future endeavors,” said New York State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle.
New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. stated, “The new library on the Brentwood Campus will be of tremendous value to the students and Suffolk County Community College community, as libraries so often serve as the heart of a college campus. We must provide the educational resources that will help our students learn, grow and succeed.”
“I congratulate Suffolk County Community College on the breaking of ground for a new library on the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood,” said Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory. “This will be another valuable addition to the college, benefitting the college’s students, the college and the community.”
“A library is the heart and soul of every college,” said Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci, who is a Ranking Member on the Committee on Higher Education. “This state-of-the-art library will provide students with the necessary tools and resources to continue on their career paths. I’m looking forward to the completion of this library that will serve thousands of students on Long Island for generations to come.”
I’d like to congratulate Suffolk County Community College’s Grant Campus on their new library,” said Legislator Sarah Anker, Chair of the Education and Information Technology Committee. “Our Suffolk students will benefit tremendously from this state-of-the-art building and its facilities.”
"It is with great personal pride that I offer my congratulations to President McKay and the Board of Trustees and members of the College community as they break ground at the Michael J. Grant campus for a new library! Being a part of this project for the past eight years as a Legislator and now County Comptroller brings great satisfaction to me and illustrates how perseverance and dedication can provide sensational results when community and government work together for the benefit of this much loved institution and for all those future generations to come," said Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy, Jr.
“The new library will be a tremendous benefit to the students of the Brentwood Campus and the surrounding community. It will serve as a beacon for study, research and enlightenment,” said Suffolk County legislator Thomas F. Barraga.
“The groundbreaking for the Grant Campus’ new library is yet another leap forward for Suffolk Community College,” said Legislator Kevin McCaffrey. “It only makes sense to have a state-of-the-art library on a campus that has seen such rapid growth and development in recent years. I am excited for Suffolk Community College’s future, and I will remain committed to ensuring its continued success.”
”As Suffolk County Legislator for the 16th Legislative District, which is home to the Michael J. Grant Campus of Suffolk County Community College (SCCC), I am proud to offer my congratulations as you break ground for the new state-of-the art library,” Legislator Stern said. “We are all very proud of Suffolk County Community College, which offers outstanding opportunities to its diverse student population. A library is the heart of any learning institution and this beautiful new facility will surely be the heart of the Brentwood campus for many years to come.”
The building will become the new home to the library that is now located in the College’s Sagtikos Building. The library was not intended to be part of the Sagtikos complex, but was temporarily placed there in 1993 until an independent building could be constructed. The existing 15,520 square foot library is approximately half the size recommended by SUNY.
The new LRC will house traditional library spaces and also include:
• A 95 seat lecture hall
• Classrooms
• A writing center
• A reading center
• Computer labs
• Tutoring rooms
• Testing rooms
• Offices
• An information commons
• A Board of Trustees room
• A teaching and learning center
• A photo/video studio
• Photo/video labs and offices
Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months.
