It will listen to presentations by state DPW officials and DuBose Associates on four proposed sites for the combined campuses of the college: in Preston, in downtown Norwich or at one of the two existing Norwich campuses on Mahan Drive and on New London Turnpike.

The committee will meet in New Haven at Gateway Community College's Long Wharf campus at 2:30 p.m.

Mary Anne Cox, spokeswoman for the state community college system, said the Board of Trustees would review recommendations from all parties Dec. 17. A decision could happen as early as that day.

"Everyone's focus is on a unified campus and (everyone) is hopeful that a site will be chosen soon," Cox said.

It's been eight years since the state earmarked $62 million to consolidate the Thames Valley and Mohegan campuses. At that time, college officials hoped to relocate to Preston on the site of the former Norwich Hospital.

But last year, three locations identified on the property were rendered more appropriate for commercial use as part of the proposed Brewster Point Corporate Center.

The proposed college site then became a parcel at the intersection of routes 12 and 2A. That has remained the preferred site of college officials.

Siting switch

A study by DuBose Associates, the state's project consultant, determined it would cost at least $80 million to build the first phase of the new campus in Preston -- $18 million more than has been budgeted.

This, according to Trustee David Cannon, is disappointing, because, in his opinion, one of the Preston sites best meets student needs.

"People may be disappointed and it might not exactly be what they hoped for. It is my opinion that the college will remain in Norwich, and I think it will be on New London Turnpike because they don't know how to beat the financial issue," Cannon said.

Although he said he did not know what site would be recommended, Cannon assumed, if the proposals were evaluated solely on cost, the $61.5 million expansion of the New London Turnpike campus would be the winner.

Other options

The expansion of the Mahan Drive campus would cost $70.4 million and the downtown proposal, which sites the college along Norwich Harbor, could cost $111 million.

Ron Aliano, lead developer for the Chelsea Community Development Group, which is proposing the downtown site, defends the cost of his proposal.

He said funding earmarked for the project is nearly 10 years old. DuBose Associates did not include all financing, bonding, and other costs in its review of the other sites, he said.

Aliano, along with Mayor Arthur Lathrop and City Manager William Tallman, will meet with DPW Commissioner Ted Anson Friday at 11 a.m. in Hartford to update him on the development group and city's progress with the downtown proposal.

In October, Aliano's group submitted two proposals -- one for the $111 million completed project and one for phase one of the project, expected to come in under the $62 million allocated.

Aliano said he did not know the Budget and Facilities Committee was meeting in New Haven later that day. He said he was disappointed neither he nor the city was notified of the meeting.

He said he would drive to the New Haven meeting from Hartford after talking with Anson about the downtown proposal.

Lathrop said he looked forward to talking with Anson and "having an interesting exchange of views," but he would not comment on what could be discussed.

Aliano said his proposal best meets the community college's mission statement and, with an alternative financing plan called Certificates of Participation, he can save the state millions.

He said his group is prepared to start construction next year, while the state would not be able to begin until 2004.