A planned Binghamton University research and development center to be constructed in Johnson City will have much less space than first planned.

Bids for the Corliss Avenue facility came in higher than expected, so designs for the $15 million project are being reworked.

University President Harvey Stenger Friday said "it came in more expensive than we had anticipated, so we've scaled it back."

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Stenger said what had been planned as a three-story building now is expected to be a one-story structure.

The center likely will have a slightly larger footprint on the site, which is just east of the recently-opened pharmacy school building.

Stenger said the new design work should "go very quickly." The originally-announced R&D facility was expected to have about 20,000 square feet of space. The smaller building likely will have about half that amount of space.

The total project cost is anticipated to remain $15 million.

Stenger said construction, which likely would take about 12 months, could begin by late spring or early summer.

The structure will be the third building at the university's Health Sciences Campus. Work on is continuing on a former Endicott Johnson factory building which will become the new home of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

A Binghamton University research and development building is to be constructed at this Corliss Avenue site. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
A Binghamton University research and development building is to be constructed at this Corliss Avenue site. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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