Yonkers mayor calls for second WCC location on Rising Ground property

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is calling on SUNY to expand and set up a second campus for Westchester Community College.

News 12 Staff

Feb 20, 2021, 4:53 PM

Updated 1,327 days ago

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Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is calling on SUNY to expand and set up a second campus for Westchester Community College.
Currently, Rising Ground owns 32 sprawling acres in Yonkers. The nonprofit used to be an orphanage and now offers various services to local children.
However, it recently announced plans to sell the property, and Mayor Mike Spano says SUNY should jump at the chance to buy it and partner with WCC.
"This is the largest single track of land that's left in the city," he said.
WCC already has a location in Yonkers near the Cross County shopping center, but it would offer a second location for those in lower Westchester.
"This presents a unique opportunity for us to be able to have the kids of this community who frankly could walk to this campus, go to this school and get the education to obviously be on the right footing for a great future," says Spano.
Yonkers residents make up about a quarter of the WCC student body.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to pass a budget on April 1 to see what kind of funds would be available for the potential project.
In a statement, SUNY told News 12 they would have to do more research to see whether the plan is a good idea financially and academically.