Two major developments looking to spruce up one of Jersey City’s oldest institutions are moving full speed ahead during the summer months in hopes of creating a better experience for future students.
Just a few weeks ago, St. Peter’s University began construction on a new six-story residence hall that is set to rise just over 71 feet. Jersey Digs first broke the news about the facility last year and since then, the University has been busy tearing down a vacant two-story structure at the site.
The new building, to be located at 762 Montgomery Street, is designed by Mountainside-based Netta Architects and will be just across from the McGinley Square Pub. The finished facility will feature suite-style rooms with 288 beds and a variety of amenities for students including kitchenettes, spacious study lounges, game rooms, and modern laundry facilities.
“While higher education currently faces incredibly unique circumstances due to coronavirus, St. Peter’s is thinking towards the future and committed to re-emerging from this challenging time even stronger and more resilient than before,” said Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “The construction of this residence hall will be a critical addition to our campus to position the University for future success.”
The new digs will essentially act as a welcome to the University’s campus for those walking west along Montgomery Street. St Peter’s expects the development to be completed by the fall of 2021 and the property is not the only one on the university’s campus scheduled for major upgrades.
Late last month, the University announced that the Yanitelli Recreational Life Center will undergo a $5 million renovation. The building, located at 870 Montgomery Street, is affectionally known as “The Bubble” on account of its roof and houses many of the school’s athletic facilities.
The home of the Peacocks is getting the makeover following a donation from Class of 1968 alumnus Thomas P. Mac Mahon, a member of the university’s board of trustees and retired CEO of LabCorp. The first phase of the renovation will include the creation of modern basketball and volleyball arenas that include amenities like new retractable bleachers, new hardwood courts, a re-imagined entryway, enhanced lighting, and new video scoreboards.
Mac Mahon, who served as the university’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2018, has been cited by Forbes Magazine and the Harvard Business Review as one of the best performing CEOs in the world. Other planned upgrades in the facility’s long-term master plan include an athletic Hall of Fame.
Interior demolition at “The Bubble” started on July 28 at the private Jesuit school, which was founded in 1872 and sports a campus spanning about 30 acres. While St. Peter’s will have a busy summer of construction along Montgomery Street, the University has yet to make an official decision as to whether students will be returning to campus in the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
