By SAVANNAH TOREBKA
Managing Editor
The College of Saint Rose has begun opening discussions with the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association, regarding plans for Saint Rose’s properties after its closure. After months of uncertainty and a lack of transparency from the college, President Marcia White of Saint Rose had a sit-down meeting with the president of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association, Dannielle Melendez, to address the concerns of the community.
“We are concerned with the future of the buildings that the bondholders and the college currently own, potential vacancies, maintenance, security of the properties moving forward, and the impact on our local economy,” said Melendez.
The meeting between the two presidents took place in Marcia White’s office on Feb. 15, 2024. “During our discussion, President White discussed the many steps the college takes to ensure that students are taken care of. I shared our concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the college’s decision to close and how we hope to work with the college moving forward during this time of transition,” Melendez said.
Melendez expressed her concerns regarding how the college has been lacking in providing adequate information for its closing plans. She reflected on how in previous years the communication between Saint Rose and the Pine Hills Neighborhood has been excellent. She hopes that after this meeting with President White, the communication between the school and the community will remain productive.
Melendez said, “Saint Rose has always participated in community discussions surrounding neighborhood issues, and due to the effort of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association, we have started to have these critical discussions again.”
In an effort to gather as much information as possible during the meeting, Melendez inquired about several important issues that have been unresolved about the college’s upcoming shutdown. “I asked her questions about the buildings for sale, the timeline for the sale of the properties, and how we can build a stronger relationship between the college and the neighborhood,” she said.
Melendez shared that President White still did not have specific details regarding the college’s plans for its properties after its closure, but feels optimistic that this meeting will ensure a better understanding between Saint Rose and the Pine Hills community in the future.
“During this process, I’ve learned that concerns among neighbors lessen when there is open communication. Even if information is not available to the public, it’s important to still show up for the people who care a lot about the future of the neighborhood,” said Melendez. “I hope the college will continue engaging with the neighborhood during this time.”
With new communication being established between the college and the community, Melendez shared the many plans that the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association has to keep the community moving in a positive direction.
“The Pine Hills Neighborhood Association welcomes the businesses in our community to join as members. We are here as a resource and neighbors will continue to support our local businesses,” Melendez said.
The Pine Hills Neighborhood Association and the College of Saint Rose intend to continue maintaining a strong relationship with one another, with college representatives regularly attending community meetings.
“We have requested that the college present at our upcoming membership meeting to address neighbors’ concerns. President Marcia White was very open to the idea, and we hope to have more details soon,” said Melendez.
With established lines of communication, and a newfound sense of community, the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association hopes to have all of the community’s questions surrounding Saint Rose’s closure answered soon.
