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S 10252

Authorizes the trustees of the state university of New York to lease and contract to make available certain land on the SUNY Stony Brook campus

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Monica Martinez

SUNY may lease about 11.5 acres at Stony Brook Southampton to a nonprofit for up to 99 years to develop housing, with project labor agreements and state-procurement protections.

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Bill Summary · S 10252

Summary of Bill S.10252 (2025-2026) — New York Senate

Main purpose and intent

  • Authorizes the trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY) to lease and contract to make available a specific, underutilized portion of SUNY Stony Brook’s Southampton campus land (approximately 11.5 acres) to a not-for-profit ground lessee (Stony Brook Southampton Housing Development Corp.).
  • The goal is to develop, construct, maintain, and operate multi-purpose facilities to support housing needs and related amenities, benefiting SUNY Stony Brook, the surrounding community, and the public.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 2: Grants SUNY trustees broad authority to lease or contract the identified land (about 11.5 acres) to the ground lessee for up to 99 years without a public bidding process. Leases/contracts must be approved by the Director of the Budget, the Attorney General, and the State Comptroller. If the land ceases to be used for the stated purpose, the lease terminates and the property reverts to SUNY.
  • Section 3: Leases/contracts entered under this act are treated as state contracts for purposes of Article 15-A (procurement) of the Executive Law; contractors, subcontractors, lessees, and sublessees are treated as state agencies for these purposes.
  • Section 4: All work on the project involving construction, demolition, rehabilitation, etc., is deemed public work and subject to Article 8 of the Labor Law (including prevailing wage requirements).
  • Section 5: SUNY cannot contract out instructional, pedagogical, administrative, or similar professional services currently performed by state employees; such services must be performed by state employees under Civil Service Law. The bill also states it shall not displace current state workers or impair existing service contracts or collective bargaining rights; unclassified positions at SUNY remain in the unclassified service.
  • Section 6: Limits contract-out prohibitions to unclassified employees at SUNY Stony Brook. Prohibits privatization of unclassified-work equivalents; reinforces that rights/benefits under Civil Service Law and collective bargaining agreements remain in place.
  • Section 7: Defines terms:
    • “Project”: work on the leased property involving design, construction, rehabilitation, etc.
    • “Project labor agreement”: a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement required for project work.
  • Section 9: Requires the ground lessee to require a Project Labor Agreement for all contractors/subcontractors on the project.
  • Section 10–12: Details on permissible terms (including funding arrangements, leasing/subleasing, easements, and licenses), indemnity provisions, and a requirement that contracts awarded under the act be through competitive processes.
  • Section 13: Precisely describes the 11.5-acre parcel on the SUNY Stony Brook Southampton campus; clarifies the description is not a legal survey but identifies the lease area (approximately 500,818 square feet / 11.4972 acres).
  • Section 14: Leases must be executed within five years of the act’s effective date.
  • Section 15–16: Provides standard legal ordering provisions and immediate effective date.

Who would be affected

  • SUNY Trustees: empowered to lease land and manage related contracts under this act.
  • Stony Brook Southampton Housing Development Corp. (ground lessee): designated not-for-profit entity to develop and operate the housing-related facilities.
  • Construction contractors, subcontractors, and related labor organizations: prospective participants on the project, subject to a Project Labor Agreement and prevailing wage requirements.
  • SUNY Stony Brook and its current employees (particularly those in unclassified and related civil service positions): protections against displacement; certain functions must remain performed by state employees.
  • Public sector workers and labor rights framework: project would be subject to Article 8 (public works) and prevailing wage standards.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The act takes effect immediately.
  • Leases/contracts must be executed within five years of the act’s effective date.
  • Any lease must be approved by the Director of the Budget, the Attorney General, and the State Comptroller.
  • Competitive bidding applies to contracts entered under the act.
  • If the project ceases to fulfill its described public purpose, the land reverts to SUNY.

Notable details

  • The lease term can run up to 99 years without full fee-simple conveyance.
  • The arrangement may involve funding or financing options, including leasehold mortgages and rent assignments.
  • The land description is specific to a defined parcel on the Southampton campus, with easements and existing record restrictions retained.

This bill seeks to leverage underutilized SUNY land to address housing and related needs while embedding state procurement, labor, and employee protections in the arrangement.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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