CONNELLY CENTER REVITALIZATION
Renovations to the Connelly Center—a student hub and central gathering space for the campus community—will advance the priorities of ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥â€™s Strategic Plan, illustrating our ongoing commitment to enhancing the student experience, fostering community and creating collaborative spaces.
STUDENT CENTER AT THE HEART OF CAMPUS
The Connelly Center has been central to ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥â€™s student experience and campus life 45 years. The interior renovation of the 67,000 square-foot building will modernize the facility while maintaining the distinctive character of this campus landmark. ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ worked with architects Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates and the project is scheduled to be complete by Fall 2025.
SERVING TODAY'S VILLANOVA
The renovation of the Connelly Center maximizes a vital campus space and will enhance student dining, gathering and event spaces, and accessibility throughout the building. With the opening of ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥â€™s Cabrini Campus in Fall 2026, the Connelly Center will increasingly serve as an important student hub for those traveling between campuses. The improvements to dining, study and lounge options will ensure the building is equipped to best serve ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ students today and for generations to come.
Rendering showing new seating configurations for gathering or studying.
Rendering of the updated ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ Room, the main event space on campus.
Rendering showing one of the new dining options within the Connelly Center.
Highlights of the building renovation and revitalization project include:
- Upgrading the dining experience with new destinations for dining, including a sushi counter and Nova Noodle Co., which will offer bowls featuring ramen, pho and global noodle favorites
- Redesigning the Belle Aire Terrace dining area to increase seating availability and improve circulation and accessibility
- Creating a new stage in Belle Aire Terrace for student performances
- Modernizing and upgrading the ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ Room, the central event space on campus
- Replacing seating throughout the building and carrying out aesthetic upgrades
- Installing new flooring and lighting, and upgrading the HVAC system
- Providing additional bathroom facilities
RECOGNIZING OUR LEAD DONOR
The Connelly Foundation is a longstanding and valued supporter of ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥, investing across academics, campus infrastructure and student life. The Connelly Foundation originally funded the construction of the Connelly Center, which opened in 1980. The Foundation is now making a leadership gift to revitalize the building, donating $10 million toward the renovation cost, which brings the Connelly Foundation’s total giving to ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ to more than $44 million.
The renovated spaces within the Connelly Center will include a Commons on the ground floor named in honor of Emily C. Riley, executive vice president emerita for the Connelly Foundation and a former member of the ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ University Board of Trustees.
Rendering of the Emily C. Riley Commons, a lower level "living room" space in the renovated Connelly Center.
VILLANOVA'S STRATEGIC PLAN
The Connelly Center renovation advances the University’s commitment to enhancing the ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ experience for the entire campus community and creating spaces that foster community and collaboration as part of its Strategic Plan. Rooted in our Augustinian Catholic values and restless in our desire to ignite change, it is a uniquely ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥n plan driven by our community’s shared vision for the future: to remain true to what makes our University special while becoming an even greater ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥.