OBSERVER file photo Jamestown Community College backed out of revitalizing the Graf Building in Dunkirk and then put its north county location on Route 60 up for sale.

As part of a celebratory announcement in January 2023 for a New York state Downtown Revitalization Initiative that would include $10 million for the city of Dunkirk was a project that involved Jamestown Community College. At that time, the institution was hoping a Central Avenue site, between Third and Fourth streets at the Graf Building, would help grow enrollment due to its proximity to Dunkirk High School.

Early in the process, JCC made a successful application to renovate the site to house a Workforce Training Center — both academic and workforce — that would potentially include childcare, offices for program partners, a career counseling center, a science lab, new classrooms, and computer labs. This was one of the centerpieces for the downtown plan.

Excitement, however, was short lived. Over the next two years, concerns about potential costs began to surface at college board meetings.

“We know that we have to move downtown to really be a presence in Dunkirk,” said Wally Huckno, JCC trustee, during a July 2023 meeting. “We visited the building. We had different opinions on the building. And I just wondered if we had maybe some alternative suggestions? You mentioned a couple of them have been turned down already, so that begins to push us. I don’t like to be pushed.”

In November 2024, the college suddenly decided to step away from the DRI plans. In the spring, its efforts in the north county took another dramatic turn. Its campus in the town of Dunkirk on Route 60 went on the market with a sale close to being finalized this month.

At the moment, Dunkirk-Fredonia is without a Jamestown Community College presence. President Daniel DeMarte, in an interview in early August, addressed the transition and the sale of the property.

“JCC is not leaving the north end of the county,” he told OBSERVER reporter M.J. Stafford. “We intend to stay there. It’s a question of where do we stay and what does it look like.”

To its credit, JCC has done an excellent job of budgeting in recent years. The two-year school that serves more than 1,800 students — according to its web site — runs on a spending plan of $33 million. That’s been consistent over the previous three academic years.

In fact, the expenses for the higher-learning center have decreased from 2023-24 to 2025-26. With so many colleges and universities battling annual budget deficits in Western New York — including Buffalo State and the State University of New York at Fredonia — it is refreshing to see responsible decisions made on the bottom line.

Some of the reduction in the most recent plan could be due to the elimination of the Dunkirk site. A sale could also lead to an additional one shot of revenue.

Moving forward, however, Jamestown Community College needs to decide what its next step in the north county will be. Does it want to be there or not?

Its flagship site in Jamestown, with an outstanding nursing program, is impressive and includes housing for students. The location in Cattaraugus County is scenic, in the heart of downtown Olean and community accessible.

During the summer and at a recent JCC trustees meeting, DeMarte indicated JCC was considering having a presence at the SUNY Fredonia campus. That makes the most sense though it still has not been finalized despite discussions about the potential relocation being discussed at a College Council meeting in Fredonia last spring.

But JCC has to do what is best for its fiscal health — and future. Its location in the town of Dunkirk never appeared to be bustling so selling the property that includes a former parochial school with a sizable neighboring building added about 30 years ago likely makes sense.

Where this becomes a Dunkirk-Fredonia community issue is an annual fee. Each January — as part of the Chautauqua County property taxes — residents contribute what is referred to as a chargeback that is tied to local support of a community college. In the 2024-25 spending plan, that revenue in the JCC budget was $1,060,020 — an increase of $358,020 from 2023-24 or 51%.

That amount was 3.2% of JCC’s revenues. Though slight, it still is a forced investment by all county taxpayers in the institution. That makes JCC — through that fee — more accountable to residents here for its actions.

JCC has maintained it is keeping its options open regarding a north-county location. At the moment, that is only a statement. The longer its absence is evident, the more students — and residents — will wonder about its commitment.

John D’Agostino is editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.