Capital Project

If you would like any additional information about the Capital Project, or would like to see a copy of the future CCE Erie Building Plans, or a rendering of the CCE Erie Educational Building, contact Diane Held, Executive Director at dbh24@cornell.edu.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County (CCE Erie) is undertaking an ambitious plan to build a flagship headquarters campus on Burton Road in Orchard Park.

CCE Erie uses local experience and research-supported solutions to build stronger communities. CCE Erie provides educational programs to county residents in Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H Youth Development, Nutrition, and Consumer Horticulture.

With the support of many local donors, CCE Erie purchased the Print Shop building on the historic Roycroft Campus over 60 years ago.The building, known for those many years as the Farm and Home Center, was an ideal facility in which to offer Cooperative Extension programming.In 2015, the Roycroft Campus Corporation purchased the Print Shop to further their mission, and CCE Erie currently leases office space in the Print Shop.CCE Erie plans to honor the commitment of the original donors by investing in a headquarters campus to offer current, hands on training, and educational programming to adults and youth in our community.

Update on CCE Erie Capital Project

In 2024, the full plan was submitted to Orchard Park Planning Board for approval. There are some technical changes that require attention. Once resolved, we should have approval for the project. With the help of former Board President, Jack McGowan, CCE Erie received an $80,000 grant to cover half the cost to build a pavilion, storage area, and parking lot. Cozzarelli Construction has been hired to build the pavilion, which will be a great place for our programs to start utilizing the new property as we continue toward the full campus.

Matt Agle, CCE Erie Board President - November 2023

• 2017: Needs assessment developed a rough picture of what CCE Erie’s future campus could look like.

• 2020: Finally found a property that met our criteria: centrally located in Erie County, with enough acreage for the growth of programs and projects, within our price range.

• 2021: Began to find an architectural firm to design the new facility. Multiple bids and visions submitted, contracted with Bammel Architects.

This brings us to 2023. Architectural designs for the education/office building are almost ready for final approval. That is a simple statement with a lot packed into it. First, there is the site plan approval, including the location and basic appearance of the building, the shape of the land, parking lots, sidewalks, drainage, and landscape design, down to the number and type of plants. There are stormwater flow tests, soil drainage tests, and archeological studies to confirm all these designs fit the landscape and municipal infrastructure. All these items came together this year and have been submitted for Orchard Park Planning Board approval. That is an iterative process of reviews and feedback to double-check everything works in the big picture.

At the same time, the finer points of the building have been coming together. This includes the building’s layout, construction materials, and similar. It also includes mechanical engineering plans- HVAC, electric, and plumbing. Most of these items are complete, with finalized plans expected by December. Once site plan approval is obtained from the Town of Orchard Park, the board will develop a Capital Campaign plan to raise the funds necessary to construct the education/office building.

Independent of these two steps, we have developed a short-term project for next year to build a pavilion with a storage area, parking lot, and a potential water well. This will allow staff to start developing programs on the new property. We are waiting to hear regarding a grant proposal funding this project. CCE Ag specialists have taken advantage of the Burton Road property this year, including planting cover crop field demonstrations and organic weed control trials with important heritage varieties of corn.

Last updated April 4, 2025