Feb.12, 2001

The boxes have been unpacked, the furniture is in, and the New York State School Boards Association is ready to show off its brand new headquarters in the Capital District.

NYSSBA will host a dedication of its new facility at 24 Century Hill Drive, Latham, Feb. 8 from 4 – 8 p.m.

"For the first time in NYSSBA's history, we have a headquarters designed just for school boards and the work we do on behalf of the children we serve," said Sandra Lockwood, NYSSBA president. Lockwood is slated to officially ?cut the ribbon? on the new facility at 6:30 p.m.

The three-story, 45,000 square-foot building was constructed by First Columbia, LLC. Construction began in June of 2001 and was completed by the end of December.

"First Columbia is delighted to welcome the New York State School Boards
Association to its exceptional new facility at Century Hill Plaza," said Kevin Bette, president of First Columbia.

NYSSBA's Board of Directors chose the Latham location 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 easily be seen from the Northway (I-87), the fourth busiest highway in the state. The site is a 15-minute drive from the Capitol and State Education Department in downtown Albany.

The new building gives NYSSBA sufficient office space to accommodate a staff that has grown to 58. It was 30 in 1979, when NYSSBA moved to 119 Washington Avenue in Albany. The Latham location provides sufficient parking for staff as well as for members and guests who come to conduct business at NYSSBA headquarters.

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

NYSSBA is using two-thirds of the new space – 30,000 square feet – for current staff needs. The additional space is available for lease and could be used for future expansion.

The new building is the culmination of an extensive process that began two ago with a space utilization study to assess the current and future needs of NYSSBA. A proposal from First Columbia was chosen among six submitted to the NYSSBA Board of Directors.

NYSSBA provides information, training and advocacy for more than 5,000 school board members across the state.