STATEN ISLAND,N.Y. -- When St. John’s University first announced it would be closing its Grymes Hill campus due to low enrollment rates, community members voiced some serious concerns about the fate of the 16.5-acre property: Could rows of detached houses be developed there? Would the city use the site’s vacant buildings to house migrants? Or would the land continue to be reserved for educational purposes?
And now, as the college readies to close, officially ceasing academic operations and ownership at the end of this month, answers to those questions still remain unclear.
“I can share with you that the university is in close, serious conversation with one of the organizations that bid on the property, but there are certain contingencies present that limit the disclosure of details and names,” Brian Browne, associate vice president of communications and public affairs for St. John’s, recently told a crowded room full of public officials and concerned residents, fielding questions about the status of the transaction during a Grymes Hill Estates Association meeting.
Browne reiterated that the university’s real estate adviser, Savills Inc., has marketed the campus as a “pre-assembled turnkey opportunity” for the past 18 months, one that is specifically well-suited for an educational facility. But he also acknowledged that the school’s zoning -- R3-1 -- is residential, and as of right permits building semi-detached one- and two-family homes, as well as detached homes.
“Savills casted a wide net, and we heard from a lot of different organizations, not just in New York but around the country and the world,” Browne said. “We spoke to our higher education neighbor down the road; we spoke with a variety of non-profits and religious groups. We had a lot of serious conversations and did our due diligence with organizations that submitted a bid.”
And while the potential buyer could not yet be named, Browne revealed a few details at the association meeting. Here’s what we know so far:
The campus will be vacated within the next few months, and the transaction should be completed this summer.
According to St. John’s academic calendar, the last day of classes at the Staten Island Campus is Monday, April 29. Final exams will be issued there from May 2 to 8. Browne said that the university will then begin to vacate the property, and he is “hopeful” that the real estate transaction will close within the next few months. “We are not there yet. Conversations are still ongoing, and our due diligence continues,” he said. “But St. John’s has a great commitment to Staten Island and intends to honor that.”
The university will continue to secure and maintain the property until the sale is complete.
Browne said that as long as the university owns the property, it will secure and maintain it, continuing to provide daily presence of a public safety officer. Safety concerns during the transition of ownership will be worked out at closing.
The property will not be used as a migrant shelter.
During the civic association meeting, Browne reassured attendees that the site would not be used as a shelter. “I can say we were never contacted by New York City for any kind of housing or migrant shelter,” he noted.
The prospective buyer matches the property’s current zoning.
“The groups we’ve heard from match the zoning,” Browne told meeting attendees. “A year ago, during our first meeting with the community, there was a lot of talk about the property continuing as an educational facility. But over the past 12 months or so, we’ve heard more about smart growth or smart development. As far as higher ed, there was some interest, but it didn’t go too far. That’s just kind of how it played out. When we can say more, we will.”
No inquiries have been made for a zoning change/variance.
St.John’s is located in an R3-1 zone -- which is residential, and as of right permits building semi-detached one- and two-family homes as well as detached homes. According to the NYC Zoning Application Portal, no inquiries have been made to alter that zoning.