Cazenovia, N.Y. — The New York State Police will close its satellite training academy at the former Cazenovia College next summer.
Officials determined additional recruit classes in Cazenovia are not necessary, according to Beau Duffy, a spokesperson for the state police. The main branch of the state police academy is in Albany.
The lease is set to expire on Aug. 31, 2025.
The satellite training academy opened in fall 2023, several months after Cazenovia College permanently closed, citing financial difficulties. It had been in operation for almost two centuries.
The leased space was large enough for 275 recruits and 115 instructors. The state police agreed to pay $1.54 million each year for the space, according to a copy of the lease obtained by syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.
The college defaulted on a $25 million bond payment in fall 2022. The 27-acre campus in the heart of the village, plus a nearby 244-acre equestrian center, are for sale.
Kurt Wheeler, the village mayor, said he had been told that the state Comptroller’s Office rejected an extension to the lease. A spokesperson for the comptroller’s office confirmed that was the case.
Wheeler said it will be sad to see the academy close.
“They’ve been great neighbors, we’ve been glad to have them here in our community,” he said.
Wheeler said the brokers helping to sell the former college campus have told him there are other parties interested in the property. He said he hoped to have more to share in the “near future,” declining to comment further.
Staff writer Jon Moss covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at jmoss@syracuse.com or @mossjon7.
