Breaking Ground on ETEC

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 19, 2018) – Our University broke ground Tuesday on its Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex (ETEC) at the Harriman State Office Campus.

Funded in part through the NYSUNY 2020 program, ETEC will combine UAlbany’s existing research strengths, some of its fastest-growing new programs and innovative entrepreneurial resources in a single state-of-the-art facility, fostering teaching, research and business collaborations.

The $180 million complex is being built on the southwest corner of the Harriman Campus and will be the future home of UAlbany’s first-in-the-nation College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. It will also house the University’s Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences Research Center and other UAlbany academic departments, as well as the New York State Mesonet, the nation’s most advanced weather-detection system.

Fittingly, it snowed during the event.

"This new complex will continue to grow the Capital Region as a hub of technological innovation as well as help ensure New York is prepared for emerging threats, such as extreme weather and terrorism that are increasingly becoming the new normal," said Governor Cuomo, when announcing the groundbreaking. "By bringing academia and the business sector together, we are enabling the industries vital to our preparedness effort to grow and thrive right here in New York."

In 2016, Governor Cuomo announced that the University would develop 12 neighboring acres on the Harriman Campus to build the 245,000-square-foot complex. The building will be located just steps from the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), Office of Emergency Management and New York State Police, offering students, faculty and staff better access to state agencies that work daily to make New York safer, more prepared and more resilient.

UAlbany's $180 million ETEC building will be located on the southwest corner of the Harriman Campus.

Once completed in 2021, ETEC will have the capacity to house more than 200 full-time faculty and researchers, 100 research and industry partners and as many as 800 students. It will include classroom and office space; research labs; specialty instrumentation facilities; an emergency preparedness situation room, weather research and instruction map rooms and observation facilities; business and technology transfer services offices; and conference facilities.

A pedestrian path from UAlbany’s existing perimeter road as well as shuttle bus service from Uptown Campus buildings to the new building will connect ETEC to the main academic podium.

You can view renderings of the complex here.

“This facility will be an interdisciplinary center for nationally leading academic and research programs focusing on issues, such as weather, climate, emergencies and disasters, but also designed to create entrepreneurial opportunities. It also aligns with the five priorities of our new strategic plan,” said UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez, during the groundbreaking event.

“Thanks to Governor Cuomo, this partnership exemplifies how public universities can collaborate with state government to leverage their collective expertise to spark private innovation that will strengthen New York’s economy,” he added.

The University’s development team has already completed preparatory site work as well as installation of ETEC’s geothermal well field, which will make the building more sustainable by using the earth beneath it to reduce heating and cooling costs and the reliance on fossil fuels.

Consigli Construction NY, LLC is the general contractor on the project.

Also attending Tuesday’s groundbreaking were DSHES Commissioner Roger Parrino, Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito, UAlbany Vice President for Research Jim Dias, CEHC Dean Robert Griffin and Atmospheric Sciences Research Center Director Everette Joseph, as well as Assembly member Patricia Fahy, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan and University faculty, student and administrative leaders.

Photos by Paul Miller

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