With State’s $15 Million, Springbrook Nears Goal

3-26-10

Match To Free Up Golisano’s Gift May Be Announced At Gala

By JIM KEVLIN : SPRINGBROOK

It’s a perfect project, good times or bad.
New York State can welcome back 24 children with disabilities from as far away as Wisconsin, saving $890,000 a year.
Springbrook receives $14.7 million from state bonds, more than paid for by the savings, and can begin a $20 million expansion that includes duplexes for the 24, infrastructure, and six classrooms and an expanded gym.
Construction can begin in 30-60 days, putting a couple of hundred construction workers on the payroll.  When the job is done, Springbrook – already the county’s fifth largest employer – will hire 100 more permanent workers.
New York State wins.  Springbrook and its students win.  Otsego County wins. 
Perfect.
With high spirits and good humor, that happy combination was announced Tuesday, March 23, at the already bright and spotless residential school just north of Milford Center.
State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, brought the news of what he termed “a win-win project” from Albany, and received high praise for – along with Springbrook’s dynamo of an executive director, Patricia Kennedy – staying the course.
“Projects like this do not come along every day,” Carolyn Lewis, Otsego County economic developer, told the press conference.
The press conference came just days before Springbrook’s annual gala – Saturday, March 27, at The Otesaga – where hopes are that receipt of the final $500,000 of a $5 million “Coming Home” fundraising campaign can be announced.
That $5 million – $2.5 million is a matching grant from Tom Golisano of Rochester, Paychex founder and former gubernatorial candidate – will allow upgrades on the basic plan allowed for in the state funding.
“This is a big deal,” said Kennedy, who said the 2006 RFP issued on the project determined there are 1,000 children with disabilities being treated out of state who want to come home.  (One, a twin of a Springbrook student, can now be returned here from Wisconsin.)
More than 400 applications have been received for the 24 anticipated vacancies, she continued. 
Since autism diagnoses have risen 60 percent in the past two years, plans have been adjusted to create “a school within a school” to specialize in that particular condition.

The project, as outlined by Kennedy, has three parts:
• Infrastructure – Upgrades are planned to water lines, septic treatment, water retention, fire suppression.
• Residences – The duplexes, with single bedrooms, will allow 24 more students to join the 48 students already at Springbrook; (another 24 are brought in daily from three counties to attend school).
• School expansion – With enrollment rising to 100, six classrooms will be added and the gym expanded.  (Kennedy looks forward to the Springbrook Scorpions hosting their first game when that’s complete.)

Jack Pitkin, Endwell, Springbrook’s new board president – he recently succeeded Cooperstown’s Vinnie Russo, at the helm for much of the drive – anticipated there will be a spade in the ground by June.
“Patricia told me she’s going to buy a silver-plated shovel at her own expense,” he said.
When Kennedy concurred that she will, Pitkin promised to chip in.