Announcing Baruch College’s Plan for Campus Expansion

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I am pleased to announce that late yesterday the CUNY Board of Trustees approved Baruch College’s plan for campus expansion through long-term leasing of nearly 124,000 square feet at 63 Madison Avenue. With a dedicated Baruch entrance on East 27th Street, 63 Madison will serve as an extension of our campus, providing state-of-the-art classrooms and offices throughout the next phases of the renovation of the Lawrence and Eris Field Building at 17 Lexington Avenue (17 Lex) and as long-term expansion space for the College.

College Growth and Campus Upgrades

Baruch College’s tremendous growth over the past five years reflects our rising national reputation for academic excellence, accessibility, and outcomes. However, this growth has left our campus space at a premium. While the average CUNY campus provides 140 square feet per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student, Baruch has only 57 square feet to work with. Furthermore, with state approval, Baruch will undergo a major $250 million renovation of 17 Lex, including a complete refresh/redesign of floors 2 through 16. During that renovation, we will require multiple “swing spaces” as we vacate the building to ensure the renovation work can proceed safely and efficiently.

Strongly backed by community feedback during our strategic planning, the campus expansion is crucial for meeting one of our key priorities: to optimize our operations and infrastructure. By creating a state-of-the art swing space prior to a comprehensive renovation of 17 Lex and the long-term expansion of the campus footprint, we’re laying the groundwork for Baruch’s future growth and continued success. We’re fully aware of and sensitive to the effects that Baruch’s growth and infrastructure have on our students, faculty, and staff. Securing a space like 63 Madison offers a solution that addresses both our immediate and future space needs.

Why 63 Madison?

For the past two and half years, the College has searched for appropriate space that would serve our students, faculty, and staff and meet specific requirements. Major considerations included proximity to the main Baruch campus, infrastructure quality, suitability for academic programming, desired square footage, vertical transportation capacity, safety, visibility and branding, and financial terms. More than a dozen viable properties were explored, narrowed down to three, with 63 Madison Avenue surfacing as the ideal space for Baruch. The College will lease space on the ground floor, concourse level, and sixth floor.

Building Amenities and Surrounding Neighborhood

63 Madison Avenue meets our needs and offers many amenities, including:

“Class A” quality New York City professional building
Vertical transportation capacity, combining escalators and elevators, with capacity to accommodate over 2,000 people at any given time
Private Baruch entrance on East 27th Street, with prominent signage, between Park and Madison Avenues
One block from Madison Square Park
Whole Foods Market located in the same building, on the corner of 28th Street and Madison Avenue
Six- to eight-minute walk to Newman Vertical Campus
One- to two-minute walk from the 6, N, R, and F subway stations

Partnership with Hunter College

During the first five years of this long-term lease, Baruch will share this space with Hunter College. As part of the NYC Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) project, Hunter College’s Brookdale Campus will be transformed into a life sciences, healthcare, and public health hub. During the construction of the SPARC development, Hunter College’s School of Nursing will share the space with Baruch College at 63 Madison. This partnership will not only foster academic collaboration but also ease the financial demands associated with capital and operational expenses for the building. This strategic sharing of space will pivot to Baruch’s sole use as we embark on the third and fourth phases of the 17 Lex renovation.

Next Steps

We will soon start the planning phase for 63 Madison and an additional mitigation plan for when 17 Lex goes into full renovation, as we access and evaluate Baruch campus classroom and office space usage throughout the campus. In collaboration with Hunter, a working group with cross-section campus representation will be formed and charged. We anticipate occupancy in Fall 2025 after major capital improvements on 63 Madison are completed—transforming the space into state-of-the-art classroom and office space.

I will keep you informed as we achieve key milestones in this extensive, long-term project. We are planning town halls and other forums in Fall 2024 that will provide ongoing opportunities to learn about updates and to share your feedback and perspectives.

Your cooperation and patience are greatly appreciated as we mark this significant milestone for Baruch College.

Regards,

S. David Wu
President, Baruch College