Staten Island’s Wagner College Acquires St. John’s University Campus, Preserving Its Educational Legacy For Future Generations Of Islanders

Staten Island’s Wagner College Acquires St. John’s University Campus, Preserving Its Educational Legacy For Future Generations Of Islanders

We asked the following questions of Wagner College.  Questions in bold, answers in italics: 

Have they made any plans as of yet as to what the buildings and campus there will be used for?  

Too early to say anything about specific occupancy. 

Are any renovations or changes planned? 

 No significant renovations planned at the moment. We will have a ribbon-cutting/flag-raising ceremony at 930a May 20.

On Monday night, Wagner College leadership taking the keys to the former SJU campus. From left, Jim Chiavelli, VP/External Affairs; Stuart Goldberg, VP & CFO; Dr. Jeffrey Doggett, President; and Dr. Jazzmine Clarke-Glover, Chief of Staff and Executive VP/COO. Image Credit – Wagner College

St. John’s University Announces Sale of Staten Island Campus to Wagner College Transaction Facilitated by Global Real Estate Advisor Savills

Queens, N.Y., May 12, 2026 — St. John’s University today announced the successful sale of its Staten Island Campus to Wagner College, ensuring the property’s continued use for higher education and community benefit. The transaction was facilitated by global real estate advisor Savills, which represented St. John’s throughout the process.

The campus, long a part of St. John’s academic and service mission, will transition to Wagner College ownership following a thoughtful and collaborative process between both institutions. The campuses are a quarter mile apart.

“This agreement reflects a strategic decision that aligns with St. John’s long-term priorities while preserving the educational legacy of the Staten Island campus,” said Rev. Brian Shanley, O.P., Ph.D., President of St. John’s University. “We are pleased that Wagner College will carry forward the campus’s tradition of academic excellence and community engagement, and we are grateful to Savills for its expert guidance throughout this transaction.”

Wagner College plans to integrate the campus into its institutional footprint, creating opportunities for growth while maintaining strong ties to the Staten Island community.

“This acquisition supports our strategic vision for expansion and innovation, and it reinforces our deep commitment to Staten Island as well as to our students — current and future,” said Jeffrey Doggett, Ed.D., President of Wagner College. “We look forward to building on the strong foundation established by St. John’s University and on the long history of Wagner College innovation.”

Savills played a key advisory role in structuring and executing the transaction, providing market insight, strategic positioning, and negotiation expertise. The project was led by the team of Arthur Mirante and David Carlos, two industry veterans with deep experience advising universities on complex real estate projects along with Savills Corporate Managing Directors Michael Bertini and Mark Todrys.

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“This was a uniquely mission-driven transaction that required a careful balance of financial, institutional, and community considerations,” said Arthur Mirante, Vice Chair, North America at Savills. “We were honored to represent St. John’s and help identify a buyer that shares its educational values and long-term vision for the campus. This is a distinct property, and this has been a special transaction to navigate.”

The sale allows St. John’s to further invest in its core academic programs and facilities across its main campus in Queens and remaining global sites while ensuring that the Staten Island property remains dedicated to higher education.

The Staten Island site was originally the home of Notre Dame College, a small, independent, women’s college established in the 1930s, which was consolidated with St. John’s University in 1971; Notre Dame students used many facilities, including residence halls and the gymnasium, at Wagner.

In August 2022, St. John’s announced a planned two-year phase out of academic operations at the campus that concluded in May 2024. University representatives hosted several public and private meetings and consistently expressed an intent to maintain a healthy relationship with the local community and to find a buyer best-suited for the long-existing educational facility.

“Wagner College is a cornerstone of Staten Island education and shares a rich history with St. John’s University of providing the best for their students. It always made sense that the next chapter in the story of the St. John’s campus would unfold with Wagner at the helm, said Borough President Vito Fossella.

We thank St. John’s University for being a good neighbor and pursuing an appropriate buyer in good will. And we thank Wagner College President Jeff Doggett, the Board of Trustees and all the Wagner family for taking the leap and making this exciting investment, which will allow a rich, local educational legacy to live and thrive.”

Financial terms were not disclosed. Additional details of the transaction will be shared later.

Dear Members of the Wagner College Community,

I am writing to share historic news about the future of Wagner College. As of today, the College has completed the purchase of the Grymes Hill campus most recently occupied by St. John’s University and formerly by Notre Dame College.

With this acquisition of 16.5 acres and 10 academic and administrative buildings, we expand our campus, and make critical investments in our current and future academic programs. At a time of challenge for higher education institutions, Wagner continues to make bold changes and forge its own path to success.

In our strategic planning, we identified the need for cutting-edge learning environments, makerspaces, and additional facilities so we can introduce new majors. This acquisition positions Wagner to leverage these opportunities as early as this fall — faster than any new construction or renovation project on campus could ever achieve.

Just as importantly, this investment gives us the flexibility to reimagine how our academic programs are organized and delivered in the years ahead, all to keep pace with the needs of current and future students, their families, the workforce and indeed society as a whole.

Finally, at a time of great disruption in higher education, we are making a bold statement about Wagner’s future as an institution that continues to adapt to meet the needs of our students, as well as to further define the role we play on Staten Island, New York City, and the region.

We recognize that Wagner’s historic campus has its own important legacy and meaning. We see this acquisition as an investment in “one campus,” expanding the footprint of our Grymes Hill identity. We will be teaching classes, holding office hours, eating, practicing and hanging out on this expanded “one campus” starting this fall. Fall 2026 classes are already being scheduled with an eye to ensure we facilitate students moving between classes — a one-minute car or shuttle ride away.

Over the coming months, we will continue what has already been a deliberate planning process to determine how best to align this investment with our strategic priorities. While there is still much to do to prepare for this fall, I want to note the enormous amount of work that has been done to get us to this moment, and to thank those who have played critical roles. The college’s leadership team and Board of Trustees have worked tirelessly to meet the space needs that this acquisition addresses — and do so in a manner that best leverages our endowment and our landholdings to finance it. I also want to thank the many offices on campus who have been working diligently to ensure the expansion takes into account campus safety, the IT network, landscaping / maintenance, and branding, among many other considerations.

This is an important moment in the life of Wagner — one that reflects both confidence in our future and a clear commitment to serving our students in new and meaningful ways. To mark this milestone, we will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 20. Additional details will be shared shortly, and I hope many of you will be able to join us.

About St. John’s University:

St. John’s University is a private, coeducational, Roman Catholic University founded in 1870 by the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), with its main campus located in Queens, NY. St. John’s University also has campuses and locations in Manhattan, NY; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; and Limerick, Ireland.

St. John’s University is comprised of six Schools and Colleges, including the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies; St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The Peter J. Tobin College of Business (including the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science); The School of Education; and the School of Law.

As of Fall 2025, the University has almost 1,300 full-time and part-time faculty; 16,651 undergraduate students; and 3,784 graduate students from 45 states and 125 countries. St. John’s offers more than 200 undergraduate and graduate programs, including 16 doctoral programs.

About Wagner College:

Wagner College, founded in 1883, seamlessly blends exceptional professional programs with a traditional academic ethos for a comprehensive, experiential-forward education that fosters well-rounded, adaptable graduates. The college’s verdant residential campus offers a traditional college experience on New York City’s Staten Island, situated on a hilltop overlooking Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Atlantic. Wagner prides itself on robust student support services, including personalized academic advising, comprehensive career counseling, and a wide array of wellness programs comprising its “We Care” culture. Students are prepared not only for professional success but also for meaningful lives through the faculty’s dedication to promoting scholarship, achievement, leadership and citizenship. A Division I athletics institution and the No. 1 college in the U.S. for student theater, Wagner enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 43 states and 49 countries.

About Savills:

For over 170 years, Savills has been helping people thrive through places and spaces. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, we have more than 42,000 professionals collaborating across over 70 countries, delivering unrivalled coverage and expertise to the world of commercial and prime residential real estate. By applying world research data and trends to local and global settings, we empower our clients with insights from the forefront of the industry, bringing their aspirations to life through innovative, tailor-made solutions. Whether we are working with a global corporation looking to expand or an investor seeking to sustainably optimize their portfolio, we help our clients make better property decisions.