Master Planning Public Universities For Real Estate Development

In the face of tightening fiscal conditions, some states have begun directing their institutions of higher education to become more economically entrepreneurial. In 2001,The State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor Robert L. King's announcement that he wanted a significant departure from the way we now operate, provided a clear directive to one of the largest university systems in the world to become more entrepreneurial. But how does a state university become entrepreneurial? Since many universities and colleges often possess more land than is physically necessary for the operation of their institution, the excess real estate offers one possible avenue for these institutions to explore profit based development scenarios. Given a limited amount of guidance from governing bodies, how should a campus planner go about planning such for-profit activities? This study examines SUNY's Purchase College in Westchester, NY, and its proposed or implemented public/private real estate partnerships that contribute to the new community development mission.