SYRACUSE -- An effort that started in 2007 will "officially" come to fruition later this month, as WCNY hosts a day-long grand opening for its brand new facilities on Syracuse's near west side. The general public is invited to stop by 415 West Fayette Street, anytime between 9am and 5pm on Wednesday, October 30. A variety of tours, events and special guests are scheduled.
WCNYcalls the new complex its "Broadcast and Education Center." The facility includes studios for PBS affiliate WCNY-TV, radio station Classic FM (WCNY-FM) and its HD subchannel stations, a café and more. The facility also includes a joint master control facility serving PBS affiliates across New York State. Extending on the educational mission of many PBS programs, the building also has some instruction space, in which literacy skills workshops and other educational programming will be offered.
All day long, the café will be open and tours will be offered. A Grand Opening ceremony will begin at 2:00pm. The Education Center ribbon cutting at 3:30pm will be followed by an open house until 5:00.
Other events as listed on the WCNY website:
Main events: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Building open to the public; café open; tours 2 to 2:45 p.m. Grand Opening Ceremony 3:30 to 5 p.m. Education Center ribbon cutting and open house Live events in the Performance Studio: 9:30 to 9:50 a.m. Bruce Paulsen hosts the Setnor School Guitar Quartet 10 a.m. Bill Baker and Bill McGlaughin live 11 a.m. Capitol Pressroom recording live Noon to 12:30 p.m. Live at Noon – Bill Baker hosts Duo L’Adour 1 to 2 p.m. Capitol Pressroom host Susan Arbetter 3 to 3:20 p.m. Marie Lamb and musical guest 4 to 5 p.m. Ciao! with Joey Nigro and Jim Battaglia Meet WCNY personalities in the atrium lobby: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Talk TV programming with Dale Wagner 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Leo Rayhill and Bill Knowlton 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Neva Pilgrim and Marie Lamb 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The hosts of Financial Fitness 3 to 3:30 p.m. FM host Bill Baker 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Ivory Tower panelists and producer Doug Moreau Meet Bob the BuilderTM in the Education Center: 10:30 to 11 a.m. 11:30 a.m. to noon 1 to 1:30 p.m. 4 p.m.
The plans to move into Syracuse, after decades located on Old Liverpool Road in Liverpool, first got underway in 2007, but grant funding complications stalled the project until 2011, when the Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York closed on its purchase of the property.
When the project got underway again in 2011, officials told the Post-Standard that it planned so spend $20 million on a blend of new construction and renovations to the former Case Supply warehouse. Although the new WCNY building's address is on West Fayette Street, the complex occupies the entire block bounded by Marcellus, South West and Wyoming Streets. In 2011, WCNY said it had hoped to move into the new facility by this time last year. Although the grand opening hasn't happened yet, WCNY has been operating out of the new building since at least April, when WCNY-TV's annual TelAuc fundraiser originated from the new building.