The anticipated opening of the 127,000 square foot, five-story D’Angelo Center on St. John’s University’s Queens campus has been mounting for months. At 12:24 p.m. yesterday, a huge throng of students walked through the doors for the first time to realize a dream of the University in its celebration of the $77 million student-centered structure.
Named after Peter and Peg D’Angelo and their family, who both serve as esteemed alumni and longstanding benefactors of St. John’s University, the D’Angelo Center will house 14 classrooms, 6 seminar rooms, student recreation and entertainment space, a Starbucks Café and full-service cafeteria, student organization offices, a Board Room, spacious lobby/living room amenities and banquet facilities.
“We wouldn’t have missed this for anything. Seeing the students streaming in through the front door brought this building to life,” said Peter D’Angelo to an overflow crowd of students gathered in the new building. “When you’re out there years from now, successful in your own careers think back to today; think how you can contribute and how you can make things happen and do what you can for St. John’s.”
The event was marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting outside the front steps of the facility by Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., Vice President of Student Affairs, Julia A. Upton, RSM, Provost, James P. Pellow, Ed.D., Executive Vice President and COO, Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President, Peter and Peg D’Angelo and Student Government Inc. President and Vice President Patrick McBurney and Christina Zaccarelli, respectively.
“Now we have two places where our community gathers. We have St. Thomas More Church where we gather as a community of faith, and we have the D’Angelo Center, where we gather as a community of learning and a community that shares life together,” said Rev. Harrington, C.M. “My hope and my prayer is that the D’Angelo Center will radiate for many, many years that very special spirit – which is the St. John’s spirit.”
Coinciding with the opening of the new building was the University’s Winter Carnival celebration, where students were treated throughout the day to sample food and beverage from the D’Angelo Center, receive complimentary coffee at the new Starbucks Café and take tours of the new facilities. At night, a special mass was held in St. Thomas More Church followed by a tree lighting and fireworks display held on the Great Lawn on the Queens campus.
“This magnificent structure reflects both the remarkable generosity of outstanding alumni like the D’Angelo family, and St. John’s own unwavering commitment to providing our students with the finest tools available to prepare them for success in today’s global marketplace,” added Rev. Maher, C.M.
A highlight of the opening ceremony was a dedication of the new fireplace in the lobby/living room area of the D’Angelo Center donated by the Class of 2009.
“This gift is a true testament of what our class stood for and strives toward. Let this be a symbol of our love, dedication and service to St. John’s,” noted Dana Lezama, President of St. John’s Student Government Inc. from 2008-2009.
Through the masterful work of industry leaders Gensler Architecture and FJ Sciame Construction Company Inc., this state-of-the-art facility has become a reality and offers unique features that include a symbolic torch sculpture which sits atop a 144 foot tower, the highest point of any University structure on campus. The iconic flame, which connects metaphorically to both the eternal light of knowledge and Christian theology, honors the University as a beacon of higher learning and its historically Catholic roots. Joseph Jaroff, the lead designer and founder of Jaroff Design & Mison Concepts, Inc. was commissioned by the University for this special project.
And, in the University’s quest to continue its successful Sustainability Initiative, the D’Angelo Center was constructed according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards and includes many energy-saving mechanical and electrical systems.
“The D’Angelo Center is a true University Center. It is sure to be the new hub of our campus designed by the students, for the students,” said Patrick McBurney, current President of St. John’s Student Government, Inc.
For more information contact Dominic Scianna, Assistant Vice President for Media Relations by calling (718) 990-6185 or e-mail inquiries to sciannad@stjohns.edu.