Vote expected on $73M in bonds for Marist

The Dutchess County Local Development Corporation is expected to vote this Friday morning to issue approximately $73 million in bonds to benefit Marist College in Poughkeepsie.

An amount presently estimated to be $60 million would be used for renovation and additional construction for the college”™s Dyson Center building. An amount not to exceed $13 million would be used refund bonds issued in 2013 that were used to cover the construction, installation, furnishing and equipping of an approximately 23,000 square foot, three-story addition to the east side of the existing Student Center located adjacent to the Mid-Rise Hall to contain classrooms and performing arts space. The funding also paid for a complete renovation, furnishing and equipping of the approximately 82,000-square-foot Student Center located adjacent to the Mid-Rise Hall along with the construction, installation and modification of pedestrian walkways and emergency access.

Dyson Center rendering.
Dyson Center rendering.

The Marist College Board of Trustees in February approved expanding and enhancing the Dyson Center, home to Marist’s Schools of Management and Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Dyson Center interior rendering.
Dyson Center interior rendering.

“The reimagined Dyson Center will be a campus centerpiece, with state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, learning, research, socialization and collaboration,” Marist President Kevin Weinman said. “This project represents a bold investment in Marist”™s future that will provide all Marist students with an outstanding educational experience to prepare them for successful lives and careers.”

Dyson Center - Rendering of lecture hall.
Dyson Center – Rendering of lecture hall.

When completed, the project will double the size of the Dyson Center from 54,000 square feet to 110,000 square feet.  The new facility, designed by the internationally recognized firm Ann Beha Architects, will feature: state-of-the-art classrooms; faculty offices; a 150-seat tiered lecture hall; and labs for student-faculty research, especially in the areas of cognitive, developmental and social psychology.

In addition to the Schools of Management and Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Dyson Center will also house MaristӪs Center for Career Services, the Student Investment Center, and an atrium that includes a caf̩ and lounge.