| Issue #28, October 6, 2006 |
A Chef School Is Coming!
Suffolk Community College Plans A Culinary Arts And Hospitality Center
By Silvia Lehrer
As a member of the culinary arts advisory board of Suffolk County Community College, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the groundbreaking, ceremony on September 21, for the projected Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center to be located in Riverhead, New York.
Master of ceremonies George Gatta, Vice President of Workforce & Economic Development for the college, welcomed the team of dignitaries and was there to acknowledge the support the college received from Riverhead community leaders headed by Chamber of Commerce President Tom Lennon and their recognition and efforts necessary for the project to proceed. At the ceremony, Dr. Shirley Robinson Pippins, President of Suffolk County Community College, joined state and local officials to mark the beginning of construction on the college’s 28,000 square foot state of the art facility.
The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center is being constructed by the Parr Organization and when completed in September of ’07 it will allow up to 188 students to enroll full-time in the growing program. The new building is considered a key component in the revitalization of downtown Riverhead.
Significant financial support was made possible by our State and County elected officials. The dignitaries included New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle, and without being asked, stepped forward with a grant of $250,000 seed money to help equip the culinary labs. Mr. Gatta thanked Senator LaValle for his years of support for higher education in New York State. A strong advocate of the project is presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature Bill Lindsay who helped secure $330,000 to equip and furnish the Center. When Assemblyman Marc Alessi, one of the newest members of the New York Assembly, won office, his #1 priority was higher education. When apprised of the capital needs of both the College and the Culinary Arts Center he saw this as an opportunity to revitalize downtown Riverhead. A smart move, he thought, “the farms, the wineries and the upscale restaurants that prevail on the North Fork opens up more opportunity for agro tourism”. Mr. Alessi also secured funds for culinary equipment and then, as part of a wrap-up budget bill, he and his colleagues provided an additional $200,000, part of which will be used to establish a nursing laboratory on the second floor of the building. For the first time the college will be able to offer nursing courses as part of their Eastern Campus Academic offerings. A “win-win situation,” echoed Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, who reiterated just how important the project could be for the entire community.
The Culinary Arts program has been operating at full capacity under the direction of Richard Freilich, Culinary Arts Program Director of SCCC, during which time the College had to turn away qualified applicants due to space constraints of its existing instructional facilities. The new Center will enable the Culinary Arts Program to increase enrollment from 50 to 188 full-time students over a four-year period. Richard deserves great acclaim for his energy, passion and tireless efforts to set this project in motion.
Some of the functional areas included in the new facility is a Culinary Arts Laboratory with stations for 16 students, Baking and Pastry Arts Laboratory with stations for 20 students, a 60-seat demonstration theatre/lecture hall with full instructor kitchen, brick oven and integrated instructional technology, a nursing lab, student study area and a retail bakery/caféé with prep and serving areas to be operated by the students.
At the ceremony, Dr. Pippin stated, “The opening of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center gives us yet another opportunity to demonstrate our value to the community we serve. Not only will this building serve as a catalyst for downtown revitalization, our prominent location will serve to attract visitors to the area who will then patronize other local attractions and retail establishments. This was truly an energizing experience and I look forward with great expectations to the new Culinary Arts and Hospitality Center in Riverhead.
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