As the centerpiece for Fordham University’s new campaign dedicated to enhancing the overall student experience, the new campus center will be bigger, both literally and in concept, than its current incarnation. The first phase of the project entails the construction of a roughly 75,000-square-foot addition in the area in front of the existing McGinley Center scheduled for completion in August 2021. The sleek glass and stone addition will be connected to the existing structure via a two-story glass arcade, with elevated walkways between the two buildings. The glass canopy-topped main entrance will beckon visitors into an airy space between the Rose Hill Gym and the new addition. The center’s façade, once defined by the modernist arches of the McGinley building, will now be dominated by vertical, soaring windows and stonework that complements the neighboring Gym. In a nod to iconic Rose Hill structures such as Keating Hall and Duane Library, it will also feature a four-story illuminated tower immediately to the west of the entrance. Once the addition is complete phase two will begin, and the existing structure, which was built in 1958, will be gutted and renovated. When it is finished, it will feature 22,000 square feet of dining facilities and 36,000 square feet of state-of-the-art sports and fitness facilities. Ultimately, the new campus center will be much larger, encompassing more than double the space of the original building.
