Iona College hosted a groundbreaking ceremony May 6 at the site of where the new residence hall will be constructed. The location used to be the site of the Mirage Diner, a beloved place to eat for students and members of the community.

President Joseph E. Nyre discussed the process that took place over the last few years to lead to this point.

The Mirage closed in early November 2014. The New Rochelle Planning Board approved a special permit for Iona the following month. On Feb. 14, demolition of the diner began. Construction of the residence hall is set to begin later this month. It is scheduled to be completed and ready to open in August 2016.

“The future is bright for Iona for future generations,” Student Government Association President CJ Funaro said. “It’s exciting to see.”

The new residence hall will have six floors that will provide apartment-style housing for around 310 students. Students that live in this new residence hall will be required to park on campus in order to address the neighbors’ concerns about potential parking issues.

The first floor of the building will contain retail and restaurant space that will be open to the public, according to the Iona website.

“Three and half years ago, [New Rochelle Mayor Noam] Bramson and I sat together in what used to be the Mirage Diner and planned this out,” Nyre said.

He also mentioned that this will be good for New Rochelle and the surrounding communities because of the new public restaurant that will open shortly after the residence hall opens.

Enhancements will be made to traffic signals, pedestrian access and drainage in order to manage efficient traffic flow and safety across North Avenue. White Oak Street will direct traffic back to North Avenue to make sure the level of traffic remains at a reasonable pace so it does not impact the neighbors on the residential streets, according to Iona’s website.

Many college officials and city officials attended, including Nyre, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jim Hynes, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Mark Kiselica, Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs Paul Sutera, Vice Provost of Student Life Charles Carlson and Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Anne Marie Schettini-Lynch. Bramson and New Rochelle Councilman Barry Fertel attended the festivities as well.

“I am grateful to all city staff who worked hard to make this work,” Bramson said. “It is worth celebrating.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Bramson, Nyre, Hynes and Funaro shoveled the dirt and made the first “break” in the ground.