CANTON -- The SUNY Canton Foundation and the Grasse River, LLC, will be holding a ribbon-cutting celebration for its newest residence hall at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at the Grasse River Suites. Free ice cream will be available after the ceremony.

The residence hall opened to students this semester, adding much needed on-campus housing, college officials said. Guided tours of the facility will be available.

The apartment-style complex has more than 300 beds grouped into 83 suites and is adjacent to the Cooper Service Complex. The residence hall is designed primarily for upper class students and includes a mini-store, multi-purpose classroom, and an open courtyard for recreation and outdoor activities.

The $26 million project was financed through bonds through the Town of Canton and the Canton Capital Resource Corporation. The Grasse River Suites were built without any state funding or taxpayer resources.

"The college and greater Canton community both benefit from our newest residence hall," noted Vice President for Advancement David M. Gerlach. "The building adds to the appeal of our campus and expands its four-year housing options, which will attract more students to the area. Each of those students will spend more time locally and our businesses and communities will continue to grow and thrive. And because these 305 students benefit from having kitchens in their suites and are only on partial meal plans, they will be shopping at local grocery stores and eating at local restaurants even more than most students."

Northland Associates of Liverpool was the general contractor for the LEED Silver Certified building. Many area subcontractors were hired to help complete the project.