St. John’s University is planning to build a Health Sciences Center on its Queens, N.Y., campus.
The university says construction of the building will cost about $78 million and enable St. John's to house existing and forthcoming health sciences programs in one facility.
“The new Health Sciences Center will provide state-of-the-art technology and flexible room layouts to allow for a multitude of teaching and learning styles,” says Russell J. DiGate, dean of College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
To make room for the new facility, St. John's will tear down St. Vincent Hall, a longtime residence hall on campus.
The 67,000-square-foot health sciences facility will have active learning classrooms, laboratories, simulation facilities, office space, collaborative spaces, outdoor terrace, and roof-mounted solar panels.
Work is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2021, and the building is slated to be ready for occupancy and available for students and classes by fall 2024.
The Health Sciences Center will promote interprofessional education amongst existing academic programs, and will enable students to learn together and work as a team, similar to the real-world situation found in any clinical setting. The building also will house simulation facilities for students to learn in a safe and realistic clinical environment.
The university has been awarded a $5 million New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant to help pay for the project.
