By ALLISSA KLINE
akline@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1612

Officials of Erie Community College still want to erect a $30 million building at the North campus in Amherst, but the financial details of the project are not finalized.

So far, Erie County has said it will contribute $7.5 million toward the project and ECC will raise the same amount through its fundraising foundation, ECC President Jack Quinn said Thursday. The college has raised some money already, but he declined to say how much.

The remaining $15 million necessary for the building would theoretically come from New York state. The funding has not been appropriated by legislators.

ECC announced its project, originally intended for health sciences programs, last spring. It is now being referred to as a "Center for Excellence" facility that would serve a range of programs.

The college wants to locate the building on its North campus rather than downtown Buffalo because there is land readily available on the Amherst campus. A downtown facility would require the college to buy property, Quinn said. It currently leases most of its space from Erie County.

ECC is currently without a director for its fundraising foundation. He expects to hire someone in March. The college has called for requests for qualifications, or RFQs, to design the building.

It's also interested in building student housing on the North campus, but Quinn said discussions with contractors and other parties are still in the beginning stages. The school recently partnered with developer Jake Schneider to make downtown housing available for students. The Lofts at 136 - a 91-unit complex bounded by Michigan Avenue and North Division, East Eagle and Elm streets - opened at the start of the fall semester.