Path to LEO and RLC Will Remain Open with Enhanced Security

For our students traveling between the north and south campuses, protective sidewalk sheds have been erected along Waldo Avenue and Irwin Avenue adjoining the project site. 

 A protective sidewalk shed covers the path to Leo Engineering and RLC. 

The pedestrian path will remain open 24/7 for the duration of construction on the student commons, except for brief periods when closures are necessary. The community will be notified about any closures.

An emergency blue light station has been installed and is operational at about the midway point of the path. 

The path is fully lit and security cameras will be installed to provide live images to the main entrance Public Safety booth. In the interim, Public Safety officers will patrol the path on weekdays from 8 a.m. until shortly after evening classes end. 

Pile Driving to Start Shortly

Excavation begins on the student commons construction site.

Excavation began on the eastern part of the construction site along with the start of the spring 2013 semester. 

Now that trees have been cleared, test piles for the building's foundation will be driven within the next few days, followed by installation of the main piles in February. The piles are large steel I-beams that are driven vertically into the ground with a large truck-mounted hammer, forming the foundation of the building. The pile driving process is noisy, but the goal is to complete this step within four weeks.

Some preliminary foundation work including the construction of a soldier pile wall is expected to begin on the western part of the construction site (Waldo Avenue side) during the week of Jan. 28. Soldier pile walls are constructed by drilling large holes vertically into the ground and then installing large steel I-beams into those holes. Wood or steel panels are then dropped in between adjoining piles to form walls. The walls are also supported horizontally by drilling large anchors into the adjoining rock and attaching them to the walls. The exterior walls of the building are then constructed up against the soldier pile walls. 

Construction Begins

Contractors are scheduled to be on site beginning Monday, Dec. 17 to start preliminary work on the student commons construction. This initial phase of construction will focus on preparing and securing the site. A perimeter fence surrounding the entire construction site and a sidewalk protection canopy will be installed.

Waldo Avenue Parking

Several parking spaces on Waldo Avenue will be unavailable while materials for the fence and canopy are being unloaded. During this process, parking spaces equal to the number of displaced spaces on Waldo Avenue will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the College’s Broadway parking facility.

The number of spaces currently available will be posted on a sign outside of the parking facility entrance on Manhattan College Parkway. If spaces are available, local residents should pull in and tell the officer at the entry booth that they are residents who normally park on Waldo Avenue. Proof of residency in one of the properties along Waldo Avenue in the immediate vicinity of the construction site is required. Parking permits given out for these spaces will be valid until 9 a.m. on the following business day.

Neighboring Building Surveys
As part of the construction process, buildings neighboring the site need to be surveyed to determine existing conditions. That process will begin shortly, and letters are being delivered to these properties with further information.

Shovels in the Ground

More than 200 students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Manhattan College gathered yesterday for the official groundbreaking of the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons.

Special guests who attended the ceremony included Fox 5 news anchors Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins, City Council Member Oliver Koeppel, State Senator José Serrano,  and, of course, the building’s namesake, NYPD Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly ’63. Manhattan College President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D. and members of the College’s board of trustees also attended.

Read more about the groundbreaking ceremony here.

If You Build It, Jaspers Will Come

Less than a week from today, Manhattan College will officially break ground on the building of the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons. The $48 million project will be built on what is currently the Waldo parking lot, and will help connect the North and South campuses with a multipurpose space for the entire College community to use.

The specs:

• Five floors, approximately 70,000 square feet
• Wireless lounge
• State-of-the-art wellness/fitness center
• Manhattan College bookstore
• Café and new dining/catering areas
• Student Activities space for Student Government, clubs and organizations
• Student Life staff offices and meeting rooms
• Convertible 6,500+ square-foot multipurpose meeting space with the flexibility to accommodate large or small gatherings
• LEED certified building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

Why it’s being built:

Today, Manhattan College’s student body is primarily residential, with the majority of students choosing to live in dorms or in the neighborhood instead of commuting. To serve the needs of this on-campus community, the student commons will offer places to eat, exercise, study and meet. Extracurricular activities, community service and cultural development are a big part of the MC experience, so the commons will also offer an expanded space for Student Life programming to include:

•       Center for social action and service
•       Multicultural student center
•       Wellness and fitness center
•       Student clubs/organizations headquarters 

About the namesake:

The student commons will honor New York City Police Commissioner and Manhattan College alumnus Ray Kelly ’63. Kelly has served as police commissioner since 2002, and before that from 1992-1994. His 31 years on the force have earned him every rank in the NYPD – and he’s the only person to have accomplished this feat to date. Kelly embodies the Lasallian spirit through his dedication to public service and the increased safety of his city. We’re proud to call him a Jasper!

If you go:

The groundbreaking is open to the College community and will take place Thursday, Dec. 13 at 12:30 p.m. in the Waldo parking lot. Special guest Commissioner Kelly will be speaking.