BINGHAMTON, NY - The SUNY Business and Education Cooperative of the Southern Tier (SUNY BEST) will host "College Towns Revisited" at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 4, in Room 220 at the Binghamton University Downtown Center, 67 Washington St., Binghamton. This presentation is free and open to the public.
According to experts, a good college town is attractive to people of all ages, and to businesses looking for strong economies and opportunities to grow. Some communities—realizing the economic vitality of the long-standing, historic college towns—have intentionally set out to build college towns as an economic and community development strategy. This event will remind participants of the attributes that define college towns, and also make them attractive to young professionals.
Kevin Drumm, president of SUNY Broome Community College, will continue the topic of college towns that he kicked off in the September meeting of the 2014-2015 speakers series. Drumm will host the presentation and discuss college towns with Terry McDonald, executive director of the Roberson Museum and Science Center; Elaine Miller, director of housing and community development at the Binghamton Housing Authority and former commissioner of the Broome County Department of Planning and Economic Development; and Robert Murphy, director of the Office of Economic Development City of Binghamton, who will speak about projects in Greater Binghamton that are occurring naturally or as a result of the first college town conversation last fall. Topics will include Roberson’s new tourism study and the "Triple Cities Campus Village" project for Greater Binghamton.
Immediately following the SUNY BEST meeting, will be a grand opening of The Center, a new small business incubator, located in Suite 202, 59-61 Court and State streets, Binghamton. The Center is built for small business growth and provides the physical infrastructure and support system for business startups to grow vibrantly into the local economy. Following the SUNY BEST meeting, guests can see The Center’s new space, meet member companies and learn how The Agency is becoming an active participant in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Center will also introduce the Entrepreneurs in Residence, who, with specialized knowledge and expertise, are bringing vital resources to local entrepreneurs. To pre-register for the grand opening visit: http://bit.ly/1FOWlLl.
Pre-registration for this discussion is required through the SUNY BEST website at http://sunybest.binghamton.edu/. For additional information, e-mail sunybest@binghamton.edu.
There will be directional signage to the meeting room from Washington St. Parking is available in the Collier St. and Water St. ramps, both within two blocks of the Downtown Center, or, if available, any of the metered parking spots in front of the building on Washington St.
SUNY BEST, a community development and outreach enterprise of Binghamton University’s Center for Innovative and Continuing Education, represents a volunteer group comprised of senior staff members from key economic and educational institutions in the Southern Tier. The group works to forge strong alliances, strengthen industry specific needs, and provide information and outreach for business.
