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Schools

Molloy Expands its Horizons

Construction continues on new student center and dorms; officials expect completion by Sept. 2011.

Incoming freshman at Molloy College this year will witness several exciting changes to the campus over the next four years, as at least two new buildings will be erected on campus by the beginning of the 2011 school year.

Thanks to nearly $20 million in donations collected over the past few years, Molloy now has the capital to construct a new student center and its first ever residence hall, which will house 156 students.

Molloy's director of facilities, Jim Multari, believes that the new 50,000 square- foot "public square" will serve both the students and residents of the village.

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"The campus center is going to contain classrooms and a theatre which will benefit the community," Multari said. "Productions will be put on to bring people to the campus – and the campus center will have a lot of technology to let students do their thing. It's got an eatery and will have a lot of gathering space."

By adding a residence hall, Molloy will be able to attract a much wider demographic of students, school officials said. By converting to a residential campus, it will no longer be limited to just commuters, but out-of-towners as well. Molloy has long found adding dorms or other buildings difficult because it is landlocked in the 23.6 acres they currently have, Multari noted.

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Ken Young, the director of public relations at the school, said he knows the difficulties Molloy has faced with campus expansion due to its surroundings.

"Geographically, we are kind of hemmed in," he explained. "We have Mercy Hospital, Hempstead Avenue and all sorts of things. It's not like we have a campus that has acres and acres of unused land waiting."

The current construction is just one of many projects the college plans to complete within the next 20 years. Once the current project is complete, Molloy will begin construction on a multi-level parking garage, and when the time is right, a new chapel, dining facility and academic building, schools officials said.

"We're trying to create opportunities for people both on and off the campus," Young said. "We're looking to change how Molloy looks for those who are here everyday and those who only visit occasionally."

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