Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Thank you for your interest and concern regarding the impact on our community created by the pending

closure of Cazenovia College. After 199 years as one of the core institutions in our area, there is no

question that its absence will have dramatic effects and pose one of the most significant challenges we

have ever faced. Despite these well-founded concerns, I am optimistic about the ability of our

community to rally together to foster a positive outcome.

We have countless strengths that will enable us to overcome this challenge and even to emerge

stronger than we were before. From our beautiful natural environment, to our historic character, to our

excellent schools, to our talented and engaged citizens, we have the resources and attributes to rise to

the occasion.

Within days of the announcement of the college’s closure, a team of local leaders with diverse and

complementary skills began to meet to analyze the challenge before us, plan for ideal potential

outcomes and develop paths to pursue those goals. As a community, we will not wait to see what fate

brings us but forge a vision for our future and then work actively to make it a reality.

One of our guiding principles is to pursue a holistic future use for the majority of the campus that will

recreate the substantial economic and cultural impact of the college. This approach is essential to avoid

spinning off assets piecemeal at the onset that might preclude a higher and better use in the long term.

Our goal is to keep the public informed as this complex process moves forward and to harness the ideas,

creativity, contacts and resources of our community in pursuit of optimum outcomes. The purpose of

this website is to enable that process by creating a forum to answer questions, share ideas and provide

accurate information for potential future uses of the campus.

Thank you again for your engagement and positive energy as we work as a team to create a bright

future for Cazenovia.

Sincerely,

Kurt Wheeler

Village of Cazenovia Mayor