January 17, 2023
Queens, NY (January 17, 2023) – St. John’s University announced today that it has retained Savills Inc., a global real estate advisor, as it continues the phase-out of its Staten Island Campus, which is on schedule to cease operations in Spring 2024.
“After a rigorous request for proposal (RFP) process, St. John’s is excited to collaborate with Savills Inc. to find a suitable community partner to identify and implement the future of this unique property,” said Brian Browne, Associate Vice President of University Communications and Public Affairs at St. John’s University. “In Savills, we have an integrated real estate advisory firm with seasoned experience and the commitment and resources to best provide leading real estate expertise delivered locally but linked to their global network.”
The project will be led by the Savills team of Arthur Mirante and David Carlos, two industry veterans with deep experience advising universities on complex real estate projects. Savills Inc. will now begin a comprehensive process with community stakeholders to find the best future use for the Grymes Hill property, located at 300 Howard Avenue, which is comprised of 10 buildings on 16.5 acres.
The Staten Island site was originally the home of Notre Dame College, a small, independent, women’s college established in the 1930s, which was consolidated with St. John’s University in 1971. In August, 2022, St. John’s announced a planned two-year phase out of academic operations at the campus. The campus presently offers a total of 83 academic programs, 82 of which are simultaneously offered at the Queens campus.
The University has allocated $1 million toward an endowed scholarship fund to help support future students from Staten Island. The “Staten Island Heritage Endowment Fund” will assist future Staten Island students with financial need who study at St. John’s main campus in Queens. Awards will begin in fall 2024 — after the Grymes Hill campus closes.
For media inquiries, please contact Brian Browne at [email protected] or the University’s Office of Media Relations at 718-990-1621; [email protected]
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