New York Construction Report staff writer
Construction on the newly renovated St. John’s University Health Sciences Center is expected to enhance the Queens community and provide opportunities for students.
The new campus was designed by Canon Designs and the construction manager for the project was Shawmut Design and Construction.
“With continued investments in New York’s colleges and universities, we’re helping our premier educational institutions remain on the cutting edge of educational opportunities,” Governor Kathy Hochul said as she toured the campus which will open in September. “Through this funding, we are providing students from around the globe the opportunity to pursue their passions, make connections, and encourage them to stay in New York after they graduate.”
The new energy-efficient academic building will feature active learning classrooms, laboratories, simulation facilities, office space, collaborative spaces, and outdoor terraces. The construction project received $5 million in state funding in 2021 through the Higher Education Capital Grant Program (HeCap) and $700,000 in State Regional Economic Development Council Funding.
The all-electric building will be heated and cooled using an on-campus geothermal field comprised of 66 wells drilled 499 feet below ground. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source that comes from reservoirs of hot water beneath the Earth’s surface.
St. John’s was awarded $3 million earlier this summer for the construction of a new basketball practice facility, a project that will be developed in conjunction with a renovation of the existing Taffner Field House to create a best-in-class campus recreation center for the entire University community.
Since 2005, the State of New York has awarded $368.1 million to 307 projects at colleges and universities, encouraging $1.10 billion of investments since the beginning of the program.
