Leaders in politics, business and education all gathered at Monroe Community College's Downtown Campus Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the learning institution.
It's 255 thousand square feet of learning space on seven floors, located in a former Eastman Kodak Building.
MCC President Anne Kress says the project represents a significant investment by the state and Monroe County, and the collective efforts of SUNY, the State Legislature, Monroe County Legislature and Monroe County Executive enabled MCC to proceed with its plans to build the campus, with the students in mind.
She says they are very enthused about the new campus.
"It's beyond exciting, it really is. When you think about the legacy of George Eastman combined with the future of MCC and what this means for this community, and how beautiful the campus is, it's just incredible," she said.
The $78 million dollar project was several years in the making, and Kress says students were involved in the design process.
She says many partnerships and collaborations made this possible.
President and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Bob Duffy, is also a SUNY Trustee.
He says it's a world class facility.
"SUNY is very proud and working in concert with the MCC local board of trustees and foundation. Great teamwork," he said.
Around 2 thousand students will go to the new downtown campus on State Street.
It features high-tech spaces such as simulation labs that allow for real-world applications, a library/learning commons, fitness center, and much more.
Classes began two weeks ago.
Here's MCC President Kress talking about the new campus next to Kodak