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.