Erie Community College’s South Campus Is On The Move

Thanks to the Buffalo Bills and the construction of the new Highmark Stadium on Abbott Road, there is a lot of activity in the southtowns of Western New York.

Not only is the hometown team getting a brand new state-of-the-art stadium that will thrill fans for years to come, but the Town of Orchard Park and the surrounding areas of West Seneca and Hamburg are sure to see all sorts of new economic activity thanks to the billions being spent by New York State, Erie County, and the Pegula Family.

You can see some of it happening already. Orchard Park officials are debating changing its zoning laws to allow taller buildings and different kinds of businesses to move in.

READ MORE: Zoning Laws May Change To Spur Development Near Highmark Stadium

However, one change that is happening turns out to be an unintended consequence for a local college and the thousands of students who utilize its facilities.

Part of the land that the new stadium is being built on used to belong to Erie Community College's South Campus. With the stadium project taking shape, ECC's campus on Southwestern Boulevard is being infringed upon in a major way. So much so that SUNY ECC officials have been eyeing moving from the current space it's occupied for 50 years, since 1974.

According to reporting from WIVB-TV, the ECC Board of Trustees approved the college to lease new facilities about 1 mile east of the current campus.

The new building, located at 50 Cobham Drive, will offer the college more than 35,000 square feet of space to house several campus facilities. These include a new science and computer lab, library, student lounge, multiple classrooms, staff offices, and more.

Officials hope to have the new building operational by the fall semester of 2025. Classes for this year, 2024, will continue in the current location.