In an interview with The Torch, St. John’s University President Rev. Brian Shanley revealed plans to construct a new academic building at the Queens campus. The construction would provide a space for classroom activity while renovations are made at St. John and St. Albert Halls.
The proposed renovations are part of the Campus Master Plan, in coordination with Gensler, a global design and architecture firm. The plan was announced to all students through e-mail in December 2023, with a University-wide survey sent in March 2024.
While Gensler did not provide findings as of January 2025, Shanley said he has a “preliminary sense” of plans.
“I think what they’re going to propose, I don’t say this for sure, is that we build another new academic building which will give us the space to be able to go into the other buildings and work on them,” Shanley said.
“I think probably St. John’s first and then do the same thing over St. Albert’s,” he continued.
St. John Hall stands as the oldest on-campus building, constructed in 1954. “It looks like it looked like 40, 50 years ago,” Shanley said. The original St. Albert the Great Hall was built in 1956.
He added that Gensler has “spent the past semester talking to people” about plans, including several students on that steering committee.
“It was really a collaborative community-based approach on hearing those ideas that could make the proposal.”
“Prime real estate” for the building would be on the campus’ upper quad.
“You’ve got St. John [Hall] on one side, you’ve got St. Albert and St. Augustine on the other side, the Church. Imagine you’re standing in that walkway between the chapel over to St. John’s. That would be the logical place to put a new academic building.”
While the University does not have a definitive timeline, Shanley said it will be “a while before we have a clear sense of where the master space plan is going to go.”
Another piece of the master plan, according to Shanley, is creating more spaces for students when they’re in between classes.
“If we’re able to build a new academic building, that will be a huge source of more space for students. You hear that a lot from students,” he said. “It’s a challenge for us as well because we’re a mix of commuters and residential students. We have to serve both populations.”
He said that academic spaces are the University’s first priority while recreational spaces are second. This plan is already in action with plans to renovate Taffner after a basketball facility is completed in Spring 2027.
While Gensler has not presented formal findings, Shanley is “excited about the possibilities.”
