SYRACUSE — Syracuse University on Nov. 3 formally opened the $62.5 million National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC), which serves as “the center of veteran life on the campus of Syracuse University, for the Central New York community, and across the U.S.”

The NVRC houses the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), SU Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA), the Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and other programs.

The original formal-opening event was scheduled for April 2020 but wasn’t held because of coronavirus pandemic, Syracuse said. 

The NVRC operates in the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello building located at 101 Waverly Ave. in Syracuse. The D’Aniello building began to fill with staff and opened to the campus community in early February 2020.

Speakers at the event included J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation at Syracuse University and IVMF founder.

“To my wonderful teammates at the IVMF, the OVMA whose work everyday gives meaning and purpose to this building, thank you,” Haynie said. “Today, we’re here to celebrate all the ways that this remarkable facility and the innovative programs and research and services that originate from this place will impact veterans and military-connected families in Central New York and across the nation.” 

Former president George W. Bush, speaking in a recorded video message, told the gathering the “NVRC represents a continuation of a long-standing commitment from Syracuse to those who have worn our nation’s uniform and their families.”

The newly opened 115,000-square-foot facility includes classroom spaces to accommodate local and national veteran-focused programming, an exhibition-gallery space, and a conference center and auditorium to host community activities, lectures, and national events.

Construction of the LEED-certified building began in 2018 and incorporates universal design standards, with American with Disabilities Act compliance. SHoP Architects of New York City designed the facility. LEED is short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. 

In his remarks, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud noted that the IVMF launched a decade ago and issued a challenge for the next decade. 

“In 2031, let’s not be the best private university for veterans and military-connected service members and their families. Let’s simply be the best university of any kind in the world for those who are serving or have served,” Syverud said.

The publication Military Times recognized Syracuse as the No. 1 private institution — and No. 5 among all colleges and universities — in its Best for Vets 2020 rankings, Syracuse University said. 

Syverud also thanked the many donors and supporters “who make this vision a reality” along with JPMorgan Chase & Co. for its “leadership, its vision, its commitment right from the beginning … the Institute of Veterans and Military Families.”

Both Syverud and Haynie recognized additional partners in the project that included the U.S. Small Business Administration and New York State. 

The event’s speakers also included Isabella Lee, a U.S. Army ROTC student who is set to graduate in 2022. She described herself as a “military child of the Army” who said she wanted to “make a positive impact on those who had protected my freedom.” 

Lee said what makes the NVRC special is that it is dedicated to service members and their families, which makes it a “very personal matter to me and my family.” 

“Soldiers do not just pay with their lives,” noted Lee. “They pay with their peace of mind and the sleepless nights that are caused by [post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)] and they pay with every service-related injury and every moment spent away from their loved ones fighting for the freedom of our nation. And I am so proud to stand here today as a student of an institution that is ready to pay it forward.”

Five-year impact

Syracuse University outlined the NVRC’s five-year impact in a document about the facility. 

The university anticipates it will generate $300 million in regional economic activity and create and sustain more than 300 direct and indirect jobs.

The NVRC will annually train and support 40,000 veterans through programs that have generated 4,000 new jobs and $225 million in revenue. It’ll also produce $22 million in outside financial influx from travel and tourism, per the document. 

The facility will also bring in more than 5,000 additional annual hotel nights, translating to an annual $2.5 million in local room occupancy and sales tax.

The NVRC will also build and leverage $75 million in matching external research, $32 million in new funding proposals, and $19 million in new research awards.