After announcing its master plan in April 2014, Pace University has made significant strides in the development of its Pleasantville campus. “Phase one is the biggest part of the project, and it’s already three-quarters of the way done,” says Bill McGrath, senior vice president and COO of the Westchester Campuses of Pace.
Among the construction of new residence halls, updated athletics fields, and a newly renovated student center, Pace has taken the initiative to go green. “We have a great environmental-science program,” says McGrath. “There’s value here in respecting the environment. It’s something that we teach, and it’s important to practice it.”
Pace’s new Environmental Center Complex, which celebrated its opening this past October, is dedicated to promoting the importance of environmental awareness. A solar-paneled roof and geothermal heat-pump system are just two of the ways in which the Environmental Center sets a standard for sustainable design across campus.
Pace applied the same green initiatives to its new residence halls. Alumni Hall is the first new dormitory to help consolidate the Briarcliff and Pleasantville campuses, reducing transportation pollution in the process. Now home to 500 students, the four-story, LEED-certified building offers living-learning communities for first-year residents.
Phase 1 of the master plan will mark its end with the completion of Elm Hall, which is aptly named. “We changed the footprint of the building to save an endangered elm tree in that space. Instead of taking it down, it will be the focal point of our new residence hall.” Construction is currently underway and will continue into fall 2016.
