One Year in the Making

As Manhattan College prepares to ring in the New Year, Andrew Ryan, P.E., vice president for facilities, announces that the Commons construction remains on-schedule with final turnover anticipated this July.

“The project is proceeding as expected,” says Ryan. “The placement of metal panels, granite as well as the eastward facing storefront glass is well underway, and the brick paneling is finished. One year in the making, the Commons’ exterior is nearing completion and work is really starting to take off inside.”

The final glass panel facing was placed on Dec. 16, sealing the building from the chill of winter and allowing for the installation of ceilings, floors, furnishings, and partitions.

On the first and second floor, construction of ceiling grids and studs is underway as well as the data and fire alarm wiring. Sheetrocking continues on floors two, three and four and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ductwork is 90 percent complete.

With the power outlets roughed on all floors, Con Edison delivered electric service on Dec. 13, with gas service to come. Additionally, domestic water service is active.

“The main focus over the next few weeks will be completing sheetrock, and starting on floors, lighting and ceilings in preparation for finish work,” Ryan says.

Commons Reaches New Milestones This Fall

Watch this video update, which is the next in a series of videos that will provide updates on the progress of the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons at Manhattan College.

From the Ground Up in Under a Minute

From the groundbreaking to the dedication and everything in between, our students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and friends are an integral part of the Student Commons project.

Watch this video time lapse to see the construction progress from December 2012 to September 2013.

Final Floor in Place, Excitement Escalates

The fifth and final floor was poured on Aug. 9, allowing the installation of the first floor HVAC ductwork and other utilities. And as Jaspers returned to campus for the fall 2013 semester, many marveled at their first glimpse of the commons’ stately silhouette.

“I did a double take!” says student body president Keelan Ledwidge ’14. “There is definitely a buzz on campus since so much progress has been made this summer. After all the anticipation, seeing the construction with all the floors in place made it so real.”

Ledwidge, who grew up on Waldo Avenue, says he enjoys “watching this beautiful and enormous building take shape as I walk to class everyday” and that he’s excited to see the enormous and positive impact on the campus community.

“One of the things that makes our campus great is how small it is; it’s able to bring so many of us together, but there really isn’t a state-of-the-art venue where everyone can naturally gather other than the Quad,” Ledwidge says. “This building adds that. It unifies Leo Hall with the rest of the campus, and it sends the message to prospective students that Manhattan is serious about becoming one of the best schools of its kind in the entire country.”

Many of the newest members to the campus community — the class of 2017, in particular— have kept their eyes on the site’s progress since its inception by attending campus events, from open houses and accepted students days, all the way to orientation.

“I have been visiting campus often this year, so it’s almost like we have watched the building rise,” Fiona Dunn ’17 says. “I am looking forward to the student commons because it will definitely be a great environment and offer another place like the Quad to enjoy each other’s company, do homework, socialize and meet new people.”

As site work continues, the commons’ silhouette will be filled in. Interior utility work is progressing on the first and second floors, as well as framing for walls, and the layout of walls and utilities has started on the third floor.

Additionally, the south end is taking shape: Construction of the retaining wall leading up to the former Quigley House site has begun, as well as significant rock removal that is required to create the on-site parking spaces.

“Frames for the glass curtain wall on the east and north sides are currently being installed,” says Andrew Ryan, vice president for facilities. “And steel for the roof will be installed within two weeks.”

July 2013 Video Update

Watch this July 2013 update, which is the first in a series of videos that will provide meaningful updates on the progress of the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons at Manhattan College.

Green Space Revealed as Commons Columns Rise

The Quigley House was recently torn down as part of the student commons construction project. Its removal will make way for new green space.

Quigley House was torn down June 21.

Acquired by Manhattan College in July 1957, Quigley House was primarily used to provide accommodations for Christian Brothers and special guests visiting the College. Although it never received any major renovations or additions, its name was consistently updated — White House in the ’60s, Waldo in the ’70s and Newman in the ’80s. Quigley House was no longer used by the College with the addition of East Hill Hall, which offers spacious suite-style accommodations to 550 residents.

The demolition crew arrived on the morning of Friday, June 21, and by 1 p.m., the one-and-a-half-story wood frame structure, located on the southwest corner of the commons building site was leveled.

As the commons construction continues, supporting concrete columns and slab floors are being built. The second floor slab was poured July 1 and the third was completed July 18.

“At this stage, it’s a highly repetitive process,” says Andrew Ryan, vice president for facilities at Manhattan College. “Over the next two months we will be doing largely the same — pouring floor slab, then moving up with the next set of columns and another slab. We expect to begin erecting the building facade in late August and early September.”

With first floor columns in place, the second floor is installed. 

Laying the Groundwork

Crew uses specialized drilling rig on the west side.

The first floor of the student commons takes shape as the preliminary foundation work was recently completed.

Throughout February and into March, piles were driven into the soil to provide foundational support for the structure, and to allow for the installation of various below-grade utility services including functional spaces for storage, mechanical/electrical rooms and crawlspaces.

In April, the crew encountered heavy rock conditions along the west side of the building site, which required the use of a specialized drilling rig to complete the subterranean foundation.

The ground floor began to take shape with the pouring of the first concrete slab on May 17. This work continued throughout May and into June while the west retaining wall along Waldo Avenue was erected. The final ground floor section was poured on June 12.

Throughout the coming weeks, the west retaining wall will be completed and concrete columns and floor slabs will rise to the roof level.

The last section of the first floor was poured on June 12.

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.