Marshak’s Slow Transformation

The Robert E. Marshak Science Building construction at The City College of New York seems like a bottomless project. Some sections have been closed for nearly a decade. “How can you drag it out for a decade?,” asked Sandra Lu, 20, a former collegiate track runner.

Sebastian Bush, Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications explained that the construction on the above street-level plaza started in the summer of 2019. It was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic when the contractor  couldn’t get materials for the site.

Once completed, it will have a brand new plaza, with an improved recreational center and additional accessibility, to be ADA compliant, according to The City College of New York website. The contractor, Morganti Group, has managed the construction of the plaza, with an estimated cost of $42 million.

Workers rebuilding the Marshak Science Building. Photo by Alex Gibson-Daley. 

The college plans to reopen the pool, which closed in 2014, and transform the second floor into an outdoor field and tennis court. The project was spearheaded by the CCNY Athletics Department, with the goal of improving the athletic experience and expanding the sports that take place on campus. Harlem View has been reporting about the proposed pool reopening since 2022, with a promised reopening for January 2023, and then January 2024.

Bush said there’s been a “complete renovation” from the pool deck to the pool drains [and] the pool system underneath. He is eager for the people on campus to use the pool. “Once the pool is operating, there will be swim classes and programming for the community, for campus students, faculty and staff.” 

Students on campus have mixed opinions about the construction of the new recreational area. “From these facilities, our Athletic Department makes money off the pool by renting it out to colleges and high schools, but because construction has been paused for a decade long, we’ve lost a lot of potential funding from that facility,” said Lu. 

Swimming Pool at the Marshak Science Building. Photo by Alex Gibson-Daley.

Some students did not even realize the scope of the project until very recently. Richie Orie, 20, a junior double majoring in biology and philosophy, attends classes in the Marshak Building. He said, “I haven’t checked out the construction, but I didn’t know it’s been happening since before January.” He went on to explain why he like others wants the construction completed. “I would love to use the recreational center. I think in Marshak there’s nothing to do. I go to class, I cry. I go home. I didn’t even notice there was a library because people were so low key about it, “ Orie said.

His tongue-in-cheek response is echoed by many students who commute to CCNY and go straight home once their classes are over.

The construction delays have also had a negative effect on the funding for other athletic facilities on campus as well. 

“A decade ago, we had a massive donor who was an alumni, and he donated a bunch of money to build [a facility] for track field and then [CCNY] decided to give [the money] to the Graduate Center to build a research building,” Lu said.

Completion is slated for August 2024, which would be in time for the first day of classes. “I hope that this can elevate the space by trying to accommodate more student needs, and students will want to stay on campus,” Lu said. “Once completed I would love to explore the area immediately.”

Construction site at the Marshak Science Building. Photo by Alex Gibson-Daley.