Manhattan College to break ground on student center

Manhattan College plans to break ground on the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons on Thursday, Dec. 13.

The five-story building — which is scheduled to open in 2014 — will be located on the east side of Waldo Avenue overlooking Gaelic Park on what is now a parking lot. The east side of the building, facing the park, will feature a large glass façade and the west side will be made of brick with windows of a similar size to those on other buildings in the neighborhood.

The approximately $48 million project is named after Manhattan College alum, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

“The Kelly Commons will be at the heart of the campus, both geographically and figuratively,” said Brennan O’Donnell, president of Manhattan College. “It will house our student clubs, student government offices and bookstore, and will be our front-door to the community, providing space for gatherings, meetings and events open to the public.”