Big changes are in store for the Iona College campus. During the annual State of the College meetings that took place at the close of January, Dr. Nyre and fellow administrators publicly announced plans to upgrade and add to the existing campus infrastructure.

This announcement came in the wake of news that the Iona College Board of Trustees approved a new campus master plan that will focus heavily on such renovations. Among projects of high priority are improvements to academic buildings, student housing and athletics facilities.

Five projects were recently approved by the Board of Trustees: of the construction of a seven-story residence hall in place of the recently purchased Mirage Diner, a new Hagan School of Business building, a performing arts venue, the expansion and renovation of Cornelia Hall and an updated and renovated athletics complex in the existing Hynes Athletics Center.

“This plan supports our strategic efforts to build on student and academic distinction, support our faculty’s teaching and scholarly work, improve the campus experience and infrastructure, and elevate Iona’s stature and prominence nationally and internationally,” said President Joseph E. Nyre in a Jan. 30 press release.

The need for increased residential capacity and the desire to contribute to further development on North Avenue has driven the plans for constructing a new residence hall on campus. This multi-purpose building will be erected on the property of the Mirage Diner, purchased by the college at the start of 2014. The hope is that this project will add 250-350 beds for the increasing number of residential students, as well as benefit the New Rochelle community through the commercial use of the building’s ground floor, which will house businesses such as a bookstore or a restaurant for both campus and public use.

Significant improvements will also be made to the academic buildings on campus.

Hagan’s successor as the new home for the school of business promises state-of-the-art facilities for students in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. This massive 54,000-square-foot building anticipates benefits such as larger and more modern classrooms, breakout and study rooms, media labs, an expanded trading floor and a business incubator center.

For students in the science, technology and mathematics fields, the renovation of Cornelia Hall is expected to bring great new opportunities. According to a recent press release, this project “will bring together faculty, students and resources from the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics.” Classrooms and laboratories will be modernized with the most up-to-date technology, allowing students and faculty to increase their research capacities. This move, which will change the face of one of Iona’s most historic buildings, will help bring the college to the forefront of STEM education and research, and improve Iona’s overall regional, national and international visibility.

Science majors are excited about this long overdue change.

“The building as it is just really isn’t suited for the science that is needed at a college level anymore,” said senior David Blessington. “We’ve been held back before by our facilities, and the quality of a science department is always measured in how adequate its facilities are. If the building is built as the science faculty and students have requested, it will be a vast improvement. I’m very excited, even if I won’t be here to see it.”

The addition of a new performing arts venue will facilitate the ongoing effort to expand and enhance the arts programs at Iona. It is anticipated that this facility will be used for student and faculty productions as well as by outside performers to continue fostering healthy community relations and development in the greater New Rochelle area. The new venue will include a large and accommodating lobby, performance halls and rehearsal spaces, as well as updated technology and support systems.

The master plan also includes additions to the college’s athletic facilities to ensure that athletes have all of the necessary resources to continue performing competitively at a Division I level. These improvements will reconfigure and expand the existing athletic facilities to better accommodate the men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as the women’s volleyball team. The project is also expected to create a more fan-inspired experience at sporting events and allow for multi-purpose use of the facilities for events such as conferences, performances and large campus gatherings.

However, these changes will not be immediate. The planning stages for these projects, which include the development of detailed architectural plans and feasibility reviews, are expected to continue over the next six to 12 months. Funding will also need to be allocated in order to move forward with the renovations.

In addition to the five major projects, the master plan also aims to ensure the improvement and modernization of other areas on campus.

Over the next several years, efforts will be made to update classrooms and available technology, create new social spaces for students, open up more green space, and make necessary changes to the campus traffic patterns.

Students seem to be excited about the new renovations, yet some reservations still remain.

“I don’t want the campus to get triple the size,” said junior Amanda Vindigni. “Because then it really wouldn’t be Iona. When I think of Iona, I think of a close community.”

The hope is that all of these new additions to campus will improve the Iona experience as well as further community relations and collaboration with the city in the continuing development of North Avenue.