The Board of Directors voted at a special April meeting to enter into negotiations with First Columbia, LLC to build a new facility that will become the new NYSSBA headquarters in the Albany suburb of Latham.

The Board is expected to sign a contract with First Columbia at its June 1 meeting and break ground sometime in June for the 45,000 square foot site at 24 Century Hill Drive, Latham. The building will, be scheduled for completion by the end of 2001.

"This is a momentous occasion for NYSSBA", said Edward L. McCormick, NYSSBA president. "The new building will enhance our image as the voice of public school leadership and give us the most up-to-date space and facility to best serve our membership in the 21st century".

The building will provide NYSSBA with office space to accommodate a staff that has grown to 58 from 30 in 1979, when NYSSBA moved into its current headquarters at 119 Washington Avenue in Albany. The Washington Avenue location contains 22,000 square feet and is "woefully inadequate for current member and staff needs", according to Deputy Executive Director Rita Lashway, who advised the Executive Committee of the Board during a study of NYSSBA's space needs.

No change in the current dues structure is expected due to building costs. Finance Director Bob Schneider told the Board that NYSSBA can handle the cost of the new building within the current operating budget and that owning the building should not harm the association's financial health, short-term or long-term.

The Latham location was chosen by the Board because of its close proximity to all of the area's major highways, including Interstates 87 and 90, the Albany International Airport, and various hotels and restaurants. The site will be easily seen from the Northway (I-87), the fourth busiest highway in the state. The site is a 15 to 20 minute drive from the Capitol and State Education Department in downtown Albany.

In contrast to the downtown location of 119 Washington Avenue, the Latham site will provide sufficient parking for members and guests who come to conduct business at NYSSBA headquarters as well as staff.

The new building will include a conference center for meetings of up to 100 people. A fiber optics telecommunications network will accommodate high-speed Internet access and enable NYSSBA to receive or broadcast programs via video conferencing.

"The technology in the new facility will enable NYSSBA to deliver board development programs to our members both on and off site in ways we could not do at our current headquarters," said Area 1 Director Wayne Schlifke, who represents western New York. "This gives us a quantum leap in service delivery and cost effectiveness. Our members will really benefit from the new building.

NYSSBA is expected to use two-thirds of the new space – 30,000 square feet – for current staff needs. The additional space will be leased and could be used for future expansion.

The new building is the culmination of an extensive process that began 18 months ago, with a space utilization study to assess the current and future needs of NYSSBA. Before making its recommendation to the full board, the Executive Committee looked at three options: rehabilitate the current space at Washington Avenue, rehab an existing building in another location, or contract for new construction.

Thirty-three sites were visited throughout the Capital District. The Executive Committee met frequently during the process to review 13 requests for proposals, six written responses and three final proposals.

The Board hired Turner Construction Co. as NYSSBA's owner's representative in building discussions and transactions. Turner will continue to work with NYSSBA during construction.