Manhattan Executive Center Set For 2019
The Marist College campus has come a long way since 1929.
Over the summer, Marist announced its purchase of 18,000 square feet in midtown Manhattan to house the site of the college’s new Executive Center.
Located at 420 Fifth Ave., the new real estate is intended to offer educational opportunities for students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, adult, and corporate programs while providing them with experience in New York City.
“Marists’ ties to New York City are numerous, and the Marist College Executive Center in midtown will allow us do even more to connect our comprehensive academic and professional education programs to the New York City market,” said Geoffrey Brackett, executive vice president.
The expansion, which occupies the entire 14th floor of the premises, will sponsor events for organizations such as the Marist Poll and its fashion program, particularly during the annual New York Fashion Week, according to a press release on the college’s website. The site will also be utilized as an educational tool by serving as an expansionary location for programs such as the School of Communications & the Art’s Marist in Manhattan internship program and the School of Management’s Career Trek.
Aside from opportunities for students specifically, the Executive Center is additionally set to be a location for various lecture series, receptions, and alumni networking events.
While numerous students were not initially aware of the Manhattan expansion nor the opportunities it is intended to supply, many others were excited for this addition to the Red Fox den.
Regan Vezina, a sophomore fashion merchandising major, described her first reaction to hearing about the purchase as one of excitement.
“This is going to open up so many opportunities for the fashion students. It’s amazing, I’m so excited,” she said.
Brianna Giardina, also a fashion merchandising student, expressed a similar sentiment. “It’ll be good for [students] who are interning in the city, [they] will also have some Marist people around so it won’t be like you’re just stranded in the city, you’ll have some familiar faces.”
Marist anticipates the Executive Center to officially open its doors for its students in the 2019 spring semester.
The building is situated between West 37th and 38th street and is located a few blocks away from places such as the New York Public Library, Bryant Park, and the Empire State Building.
Marist’s new Executive Center is also in close proximity to Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Station, providing students travelling from campus with a less strenuous and more direct commute.
According to Heritage Realty Services LLC, 420 Fifth Ave. accommodates primarily commercial and retail companies. Included in its 45 units are storefronts such as Golfsmith, CVS, The Girl Scouts of the USA, and Reebok.
The purchase of the new realty cost the college $18.4 million. This price tag equals the cost approximately 330 freshmen will pay in tuition for the 2018-2019 academic year.
The hefty cost of the property is apparently not the only setback of this addition to the campus. Various Yelp reviews state that the site itself plays host to problems such as subpar facilities and rude security guards. One user even credits the location with being the, “WORST IN MIDTOWN!!!!”
Regardless of these complaints, Marist College President David Yellen penned in a LinkedIn post from June that this extension of the campus would be an, “exciting new chapter for Marist.”
“Even though Marist is already very in the industry,” commented Vezina, “this is a further step that puts us in more competition with [other colleges] or stuff like that, which is so exciting because a liberal arts school can do that. We don’t have to be a conservatory to be the best.”