A story in the Times Union on Thursday shows the plan that State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher proposes for her Albany residence.
The State Street brownstone cost more than $1 million to buy and refurbish in 1992. Those expenses were picked up by the Research Foundation of SUNY, according to a SUNY document. The UAlbany Foundation acquired the property without charge back then. It recently spent $130,000 to ugrade the rooms for Zimpher, who is renting there as the foundation plans to sell the building to SUNY for $430,000 without listing it. The plan is for Zimpher to continue renting after the transaction, a SUNY official said.
Here is the chancellor’s vision shared with the comptroller’s office, which is reviewing the proposed deal:
Her justifications for not living in SUNY Plaza are lack of 24 X 7 security, and the inability of emergency services to find the place? Hogwash!!
Security was present until 2010, when she got rid of it. Re-hire them and add electronic security systems.
As for the emergency services “problem”, she needs to present evidence of past failures and the reason(s) for same.
The financial considerations? Just smoke and mirrors, Anyone can throw numbers on a piece of paper.
So that’s how the 1% rolls…
Must be nice. On top of the 600k a year she earns……
As a taxpayer with one son still in the SUNY system, I think our Governor needs to put a stop to this extravagant spending. Our tax dollars and tuition are going to pay for this. And SUNY then has the nerve to hit up graduates for donations.
With a 600K salary, she can afford to purchase her own home. Surely SUNY functions can be held somewhere on existing SUNY property.
Finally, if the South Tower of the SUNY Administration building is unsuitable as a residence, why did SUNY spend all sorts of funds to rehabilitate it as a residence?
My taxes (and SUNY tuition) are high enough, don’t waste more money!
its interesting to read according to the press release,that the chancellor’s job is 24 hrs a day,seven days a week .when does she sleep? these people are all cut out of the same cloth.if the titanic were sinking,they would step on our backs to get to the lifeboats.the sad thing is we pay their salaries.
Maybe she could just move into the Gov’s Mansion. No one is ever there.
@Grafmil: I remember that story. Upon her arrival to that position she dismantled the whole security force of the old D & H building (now SUNY). Not only did she lay off the security force but she also then hired a few new high level appointed posts each with well over 100K a year salaries. Following the disolving of the security force there was a major pipe burst in the building’s basement overnight during a weekend. The resulting damage from Hudson River water into the building was well in excess of a million dollars. This woman even supports the common core agenda. Unfortunately New Yorkers can expect more of this type of nonsense for the next four years, why cant anyone make the connection?
@Chester Snodgrass: Put a stop to it??? She is his appointee, he put her in that position I believe, if not he obviously has given her the nod to do as she wants.
Disapproval of this “sweetheart” housing deal for Nancy Zimpher would go a long way to prove that Controller DiNapoli is really interested in cutting frivilous spending by NYS. Ms Zimpher is far from destitute earning $700000 per year plus a $90000 per year housing allowance plus $55000 for extras. This salary will be increased substantially this year. She should be able to easily afford buying all the property on that entire street and pay the real estate taxes like everybody else has to. The security issue mentioned as the reason the apt at SUNY Central is not good enough for her is bogus, and if there were a security issue it would be her fault for not doing something about it as Chancellor. She just wants her husband to be able to roll out of bed and take a few steps across the courtyard to his work site. What has she accomplished? She has blindly raised tuition to dizzying heights helping to ensure that thousands of students will not be able to secure the educational opportunities to help them to rise out of poverty, and she steadfastly destroyed the lives of thousands of prospective teachers effectively turning this proud profession into an adjunct graveyard bereft of hopes and dreams while they barely are able to subsist on coolie wages.
Can’t believe all the hard-hearted comments. The poor lady is struggling to get by on a mere $600K per year, barely able to make ends meet. Of course she needs a free $400K+ new home, how can she be expected to get by without it? And we can easily afford it, just bump tuition up a little bit more, replace some full time faculty with adjuncts, and throw a few more students into each class. Presto! Enough left over for a limo driver and security detail. All a part of affordable public higher education in NY.
Another thought. The last I knew, the SUNY Chancellor is allowed free residence in SUNY Plaza, or is given a monthly housing allowance if he/she chooses to live elsewhere. What is the arrangement for this deal? Will she pay rent, just pocket the extra $$$$, or what?
Alright folks lets drop the hysterics for a moment. Is the Chancellor’s housing move bad optics, yes? Is it going to have an effect on tuition or the SUNY budget, no? The SUNY system has 467,000 students and it runs a $12 Billion budget across 64 campuses. Lets call this what it is, bad public relations and a little rabble-rousing on the part of the TU.
And for the comments about high tuition at SUNY, it’s among the lowest public tuition in the country. It should have been raised years ago. Look at other public universities in the northeast in-state tuition: UMASS: $13,258; UVM: $16,226; UCONN: $12,700; URI: $12,506; SUNY: $8,527.
So she’s abandoning the Publisher’s apartment in the old Plaza newspaper building (separate from the D&H building) and they are going to make it into offices.
Where’s Historic Albany Foundation when you need them? Ans: Probably too charmed by her imminent arrival on Washington Park to notice the desecration of a far more important historical residence.
Grafmil: I believe the SUNY Plaza Chancellor pays a token rent for the apartment.
Prior to SUNY Plaza apartment, SUNY Central owned a Chancellor’s home on Marion Avenue in Albany.
Sold it because Chancellor Wharton thought the Chancellor should be in the plaza. He used the building security.
The 360 degree thing — back to what used to be.
More unnecessary taxpayer dollars going out the door.
What is the apartment now — offices?