St. John's begins new campus building - St. John's University School of Law, Queens, New York

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 30, 1992

Construction is underway on Finley Hall, a major new building for the St. John's School of Law that will make possible an expansion of the school's library collection and relieve critical shortages of classroom and office space.

The multi-million dollar building, with approximately 86,000 square feet-of space, will duplicate and be connected with Fromkes Hall, the present law school building on the University's Hillcrest, Queens campus. Completion of the building is expected in December, 1993.

The Reverend Donald J. Harrington, C.M., president of St. John's, said the new facility will bear the name of Leon Finley, a 1929 law school graduate, a University trustee, and benefactor of the building. The school's current enrollment is 1,200.

Harrington said the development of Finley Hall is being supported by the University's $50 million Capital Campaign, which is designed to provide new and modernized facilities, library endowment, increased endowments for faculty chairs and professorships, and expanded financial aid for needy and deserving students. The campaign, which has as its theme "Expanding on Excellence," is the largest in the 122-year history of St. John's.

The architects for Finley Hall are Carson, Lundin & Thorson of New York, who designed Fromkes Hall in 1972. The new building will house a new Law Library that will incorporate recent advances in law library science and research technology as well as new stack and study areas.

Finley Hall will resemble the design parameters of Fromkes Hall, which has won many architectural awards. When added to the existing pace, the overall Law School facilities will total more than 180,00 square feet. The resulting structures will be a unified and completely interrelated complex. The builder is George A Fuller & Co. Landscaping will enhance the outside of the building's grounds, similar to that of Fromkes Hall.

Thus far, $22 million has been raised toward the $50 million goal, according to Robert J. Crimmins, Class of 1964, executive vice president of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and the National Campaign chairman for the fund effort.