St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Reveals Plans for New Basketball Practice Facility
3/8/2024 1:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
University to enter design phase with Gensler and continue fundraising campaign for state-of-the-art practice facility to be built adjacent to Gate 4 at 175th Street & Union Turnpike
QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's University has announced its plans to construct a new state-of-the-art basketball practice facility adjacent to Gate 4 (175th Street and Union Turnpike) to serve the everyday needs of the Red Storm's men's and women's basketball programs. The new basketball facility project will be developed in conjunction with a renovation of Taffner Fieldhouse to create a best-in-class campus recreation center for the University community.
St. John's has contracted Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm, to begin the design phase of both projects immediately. The men's and women's basketball practice facility is expected to be ready by Spring 2027 while the campus recreation center is scheduled to open in Fall 2028.
"In this fast-changing world of modern college athletics that includes Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes, an active transfer portal, and increasing competition, it is critically important for St. John's to have state-of-the-art facilities and support services," said Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., St. John's University President. "The Board of Trustees and I are committed to securing the resources needed to provide our men's and women's basketball players, coaches, and staff with exceptional spaces for practice, conditioning, learning, and preparation so that they can compete at the highest level. I am excited about what the results of this project will mean for the future of Red Storm Basketball and student recreation space on campus."
As envisioned, the new 50,000-square-foot basketball practice facility will provide high-quality operations and training space to attract top talent to St. John's and rival the facilities of its BIG EAST peers. In addition, the new facility will offer necessary resources for Red Storm student-athletes to maximize their potential on and off the court and enhance their experience at St. John's. The Red Storm's new basketball practice facility will feature courts, locker rooms, training and strength areas, office and film rooms, interactive recruiting spaces and more.
Funding for a significant portion of the Red Storm's new basketball practice facility will come from generous donors, as fundraising efforts for the project have been ongoing since 2021. Naming opportunities will be available for St. John's loyal supporters to contribute to the initiative.
"We greatly appreciate the St. John's Board of Trustees support for these two key facility projects that will have a long-lasting impact on the entire University community," said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg, who has previously overseen numerous athletic construction projects at Duke University. "The basketball practice facility will fulfill our vision to deliver first-class facilities and resources to St. John's student-athletes and help ensure their future success under our Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino and women's basketball coach Joe Tartamella. We are excited for the critical next steps and have already begun the design phase, that will determine the directions needed in making this project a reality as soon as possible."
With a vast portfolio of world-class sports facilities, Gensler has extensive experience servicing the needs of NBA franchises and high-major Division I basketball programs through practical, innovative and flexible design concepts.
"When completed, the new basketball facility and renovated Taffner Fieldhouse recreation center, alongside the new campus master plan, will support St. John's students, create community, and attract the best athletic talent to the University," said Mark Thaler, Education Leader and Principal, Gensler. "Gensler is honored to bring together its education and sports practices to design integrated facilities that will help propel St. John's into the future."
Gensler is no stranger to St. John's University, as the firm led the development of the D'Angelo Center, the 126,000-square-foot hub for student life that opened in 2009.
St. John's Men's Basketball
Boasting the ninth-most victories all-time in NCAA Division I, St. John's has recorded 90 winning seasons in its storied 117-year history. With 29 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, the Red Storm has made nine runs to the Sweet 16, advanced to the Elite Eight six times and made a pair of trips to the Final Four in 1952 and 1985. St. John's postseason success also includes an unprecedented five National Invitation Tournament titles and 29 appearances in the NIT.
St. John's Women's Basketball
One of the winningest programs in the BIG EAST over the past two decades, the Red Storm qualified for 13 postseasons since 2006, including eight trips to the NCAA Tournament. In its history, the program has captured four BIG EAST championships with the most recent coming in 2016. The Red Storm has produced 21 First Team All-BIG EAST selection, seven WBCA honorable mention All-Americans and four WNBA Draft picks.
About Gensler
Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with 53 locations and 6,000+ professionals networked across the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Founded in 1965, the firm works globally with more than 3,500 clients across 33 practice areas spanning the work, lifestyle, cities, and health sectors. We are guided by our mission to create a better world through the power of design, and the source of our strength is our people. By leveraging our diversity of ideas, our research and innovation, our shared values, and our One-Firm Firm culture, we are working seamlessly as a borderless firm in more than 100 countries and making the greatest impact on our communities as we continue to tackle the world's challenges.
St. John's has contracted Gensler, a global architecture, design and planning firm, to begin the design phase of both projects immediately. The men's and women's basketball practice facility is expected to be ready by Spring 2027 while the campus recreation center is scheduled to open in Fall 2028.
"In this fast-changing world of modern college athletics that includes Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes, an active transfer portal, and increasing competition, it is critically important for St. John's to have state-of-the-art facilities and support services," said Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., St. John's University President. "The Board of Trustees and I are committed to securing the resources needed to provide our men's and women's basketball players, coaches, and staff with exceptional spaces for practice, conditioning, learning, and preparation so that they can compete at the highest level. I am excited about what the results of this project will mean for the future of Red Storm Basketball and student recreation space on campus."
As envisioned, the new 50,000-square-foot basketball practice facility will provide high-quality operations and training space to attract top talent to St. John's and rival the facilities of its BIG EAST peers. In addition, the new facility will offer necessary resources for Red Storm student-athletes to maximize their potential on and off the court and enhance their experience at St. John's. The Red Storm's new basketball practice facility will feature courts, locker rooms, training and strength areas, office and film rooms, interactive recruiting spaces and more.
Funding for a significant portion of the Red Storm's new basketball practice facility will come from generous donors, as fundraising efforts for the project have been ongoing since 2021. Naming opportunities will be available for St. John's loyal supporters to contribute to the initiative.
"We greatly appreciate the St. John's Board of Trustees support for these two key facility projects that will have a long-lasting impact on the entire University community," said Director of Athletics Mike Cragg, who has previously overseen numerous athletic construction projects at Duke University. "The basketball practice facility will fulfill our vision to deliver first-class facilities and resources to St. John's student-athletes and help ensure their future success under our Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino and women's basketball coach Joe Tartamella. We are excited for the critical next steps and have already begun the design phase, that will determine the directions needed in making this project a reality as soon as possible."
With a vast portfolio of world-class sports facilities, Gensler has extensive experience servicing the needs of NBA franchises and high-major Division I basketball programs through practical, innovative and flexible design concepts.
"When completed, the new basketball facility and renovated Taffner Fieldhouse recreation center, alongside the new campus master plan, will support St. John's students, create community, and attract the best athletic talent to the University," said Mark Thaler, Education Leader and Principal, Gensler. "Gensler is honored to bring together its education and sports practices to design integrated facilities that will help propel St. John's into the future."
Gensler is no stranger to St. John's University, as the firm led the development of the D'Angelo Center, the 126,000-square-foot hub for student life that opened in 2009.
St. John's Men's Basketball
Boasting the ninth-most victories all-time in NCAA Division I, St. John's has recorded 90 winning seasons in its storied 117-year history. With 29 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, the Red Storm has made nine runs to the Sweet 16, advanced to the Elite Eight six times and made a pair of trips to the Final Four in 1952 and 1985. St. John's postseason success also includes an unprecedented five National Invitation Tournament titles and 29 appearances in the NIT.
St. John's Women's Basketball
One of the winningest programs in the BIG EAST over the past two decades, the Red Storm qualified for 13 postseasons since 2006, including eight trips to the NCAA Tournament. In its history, the program has captured four BIG EAST championships with the most recent coming in 2016. The Red Storm has produced 21 First Team All-BIG EAST selection, seven WBCA honorable mention All-Americans and four WNBA Draft picks.
About Gensler
Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with 53 locations and 6,000+ professionals networked across the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. Founded in 1965, the firm works globally with more than 3,500 clients across 33 practice areas spanning the work, lifestyle, cities, and health sectors. We are guided by our mission to create a better world through the power of design, and the source of our strength is our people. By leveraging our diversity of ideas, our research and innovation, our shared values, and our One-Firm Firm culture, we are working seamlessly as a borderless firm in more than 100 countries and making the greatest impact on our communities as we continue to tackle the world's challenges.
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