$1B overhaul of U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's Kings Point campus proposed
A $1 billiion overhaul of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's King Point campus has been proposed. Credit: Howard Schnapp
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's Kings Point campus could receive a decade-long, $1 billion overhaul to modernize its academic facilities, utilities and physical training center under a bipartisan bill introduced Thursday and cosponsored by the entire House of Representatives delegation from Long Island.
USMMA, which opened in 1943, has seen its physical condition deteriorate in recent decades with virtually every building on its 82-acre campus now exceeding its life expectancy and requiring replacement or major renovation, according to a 2022 report by the school's Maritime Security Infrastructure Council, which developed the billion-dollar improvement plan.
The legislation, introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), authorizes $1.02 billion to be spent on USMMA improvements between fiscal years 2026 and 2035, starting with $54 million for design and planning in the initial year, followed by annual construction funding of $107.3 million in each additional year.
"We ask these students to serve after they graduate. They deserve a campus where they don't have to worry about whether they're going be able to do their homework because they don't have internet or whether they're going to have a cold shower in the morning," Garbarino, who serves on USMMA's Board of Visitors, said in an interview. "They deserve a little dignity on the campus. It's something we owe them."
The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican. Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and USMMA graduate, has introduced legislation in the Senate authorizing a 10-year campus modernization plan.
The federal Maritime Administration, which operates USMMA, did not respond to requests for comments Friday.
It wasn't clear if the GOP-led House and Senate, along with the Trump administration, which has been slashing funding in virtually every federal agency, would approve $1 billion in spending for a single university campus.
The university, one of five federal service academies, trains men and women to be midshipmen working on deep sea vessels and in the military. If the funding is approved, it would remain operational during the construction period.
Many of the buildings on USMMA's campus date back to the founding of the institution, when they were quickly constructed during World War II and meant to be temporary.
Modern information technology is nearly nonexistent in several buildings, the infrastructure council found, "and what is available cannot accommodate even the most basic digital needs of the midshipmen."
In an interview, Suozzi called the conditions at USMMA "awful and unacceptable" and said they're hurting the school's ability to recruit top candidates.
"The Merchant Marine Academy is an essential part of the country's national and economic security, and it's been ignored for decades," he said. "It's essential that it be restored to its former glory."
Previous estimates to upgrade the campus were $611 million in January 2021 and $820 million in March 2022. Those figures, officials said, have grown to more than $1 billion when adjusted for inflation.
The proposal calls for new or renovated academic buildings, libraries, training facilities, parking structures, faculty and senior housing, and upgrades to utilities, IT and campus security.
Included in the proposed plan is:
$133,1 million for an athletic and training center with a track, pistol range, bowling lanes and a fitness center;, $111,7 million for a 72,000-square-foot academic center with classrooms, a library and faculty offices;, $95,4 million for improvements to the electric grid, water and drainage services, cybersecurity and energy efficiency;, $94,8 million to renovate existing academic and administrative buildings, living quarters and the chapel,.
The university's athletic facilities are particularly outdated, the infrastructure council found. For example, the school lacks a pool with high dive capabilities to allow cadets to train for rescue and survival-at-sea exercises.
And while USMMA was the first federal service academy to admit women in 1974, no additional training spaces have been provided for female teams in the ensuing five decades.
The infrastructure council recommends utilizing a professional federal construction agent, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to manage the project.
.
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's Kings Point campus could receive a decade-long, $1 billion overhaul to modernize its academic facilities, utilities and physical training center under a bipartisan bill introduced Thursday and cosponsored by the entire House of Representatives delegation from Long Island.
USMMA, which opened in 1943, has seen its physical condition deteriorate in recent decades with virtually every building on its 82-acre campus now exceeding its life expectancy and requiring replacement or major renovation, according to a 2022 report by the school's Maritime Security Infrastructure Council, which developed the billion-dollar improvement plan.
The legislation, introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), authorizes $1.02 billion to be spent on USMMA improvements between fiscal years 2026 and 2035, starting with $54 million for design and planning in the initial year, followed by annual construction funding of $107.3 million in each additional year.
"We ask these students to serve after they graduate. They deserve a campus where they don't have to worry about whether they're going be able to do their homework because they don't have internet or whether they're going to have a cold shower in the morning," Garbarino, who serves on USMMA's Board of Visitors, said in an interview. "They deserve a little dignity on the campus. It's something we owe them."
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- A bill cosponsored by Long Island's House delegation would authorize spending more than $1 billion over the next decade to improve conditions at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
- Buildings on the Kings Point campus have been in disrepair for decades, and improvements are needed to the school's information technology, electric grid and cybersecurity.
- USMMA, one of five federal service academies, trains men and women to be midshipmen working on deep sea vessels and in the military.
The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican. Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and USMMA graduate, has introduced legislation in the Senate authorizing a 10-year campus modernization plan.
The federal Maritime Administration, which operates USMMA, did not respond to requests for comments Friday.
It wasn't clear if the GOP-led House and Senate, along with the Trump administration, which has been slashing funding in virtually every federal agency, would approve $1 billion in spending for a single university campus.
Outdated IT, athletic facilities
The university, one of five federal service academies, trains men and women to be midshipmen working on deep sea vessels and in the military. If the funding is approved, it would remain operational during the construction period.
Many of the buildings on USMMA's campus date back to the founding of the institution, when they were quickly constructed during World War II and meant to be temporary.
Modern information technology is nearly nonexistent in several buildings, the infrastructure council found, "and what is available cannot accommodate even the most basic digital needs of the midshipmen."
In an interview, Suozzi called the conditions at USMMA "awful and unacceptable" and said they're hurting the school's ability to recruit top candidates.
"The Merchant Marine Academy is an essential part of the country's national and economic security, and it's been ignored for decades," he said. "It's essential that it be restored to its former glory."
Previous estimates to upgrade the campus were $611 million in January 2021 and $820 million in March 2022. Those figures, officials said, have grown to more than $1 billion when adjusted for inflation.
The proposal calls for new or renovated academic buildings, libraries, training facilities, parking structures, faculty and senior housing, and upgrades to utilities, IT and campus security.
Included in the proposed plan is:
- $133.1 million for an athletic and training center with a track, pistol range, bowling lanes and a fitness center;
- $111.7 million for a 72,000-square-foot academic center with classrooms, a library and faculty offices;
- $95.4 million for improvements to the electric grid, water and drainage services, cybersecurity and energy efficiency;
- $94.8 million to renovate existing academic and administrative buildings, living quarters and the chapel.
The university's athletic facilities are particularly outdated, the infrastructure council found. For example, the school lacks a pool with high dive capabilities to allow cadets to train for rescue and survival-at-sea exercises.
And while USMMA was the first federal service academy to admit women in 1974, no additional training spaces have been provided for female teams in the ensuing five decades.
The infrastructure council recommends utilizing a professional federal construction agent, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to manage the project.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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