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.