Ray Kelly, Police Commissioner, recently returned to the
Bronx for the groundbreaking of the new student center of Manhattan College.
Mr. Kelly, a 1963 graduate of the school, is the center’s
namesake. At 7,000 square feet, the building is to be built on a parking lot at
the corner of Manhattan College Parkway and Waldo Avenue. According to
President Brennan O’Donnell, the location serves as the school’s “front door to
the community.”
“Kelly Commons, I like the way that sounds,” Kelly said
during the ceremony last week.
Mr. O’Donnell explained that the building represents a major
turning point in the college’s transformation efforts. The new center brings
the college’s two campuses closer together, aiding in efforts to turn the
school into a majority-residential school. For now, 80% of the incoming
freshmen live on campus.
The new building will also provide a cultural haven for the
entire neighborhood. Of the building’s five stories, the first two will offer a
Starbucks, a bookstore and other programs and lectures to the public. The other
floors will be limited to students and school staff, and will include a dining
room, a conference room and a fitness center.
The school is also aware of other inconveniences it can potentially
cause in the neighborhood. For this reason, it plans to open its Broadway
parking garage to those who live on Waldo Avenue.
No comments:
Post a Comment