Completed Projects

The renovated O'Pake Fitness and Recreation Center at Saint Joseph’s University offers a range of state-of-the-art amenities to meet students' wellness and recreational needs. Key features include a 1,830-square-foot cardio mezzanine overlooking the multipurpose court, equipped with the latest cardio machines​, multipurpose court that accommodates traditional sports like basketball and volleyball, as well as fitness classes and wellness programs​, enhanced fitness areas filled with natural light, brand-new equipment for strength and bodyweight training​ and more. The renovation aims to foster physical health and community engagement, reflecting the university’s commitment to holistic wellness.

Welcoming common areas encourage conversations and connections with interactive displays and space to rest and recover. The lobby space will transform the fitness and recreation center into a campus hub for building friendships, meeting new people and creating a sense of belonging. 

The renovation created more useful spaces, including the addition of a 1,830-square-foot cardio mezzanine overlooking a multipurpose court. 

The addition of a multipurpose court allows for more flexible space to accommodate the evolving needs of today’s students and is designed to support any number of wellness programs and can still be used for traditional sports including club sports, intramurals, large group fitness classes and net nights.  

Improvements to the fitness center allows for more natural light in this enhanced, open-concept floor plan. Group exercise classes are housed in two new, large flex spaces equipped with mirrors, body-weight training equipment and other class-specific equipment. 

Brand-new equipment elevates students’ fitness options. 

The Post Crossing is a pedestrian underpass that provides a safe and direct connection between the two sides of City Avenue. The project included the construction of a bridge structure beneath City Avenue to allow for a 21-foot-wide, ADA-accessible pathway, which is named Post Crossing in honor of distinguished alumnus John R. Post ’60, for his longtime support of the University.

In 2018, Saint Joseph’s University and the Barnes Foundation launched an educational partnership expanding opportunities for students and the surrounding community to engage in horticulture education and the arts. Named for long-term devotee of the arts and education, the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum was renovated to enhance learning spaces and accessibility for arts education, programming and fine arts exhibits. The project was fully funded through philanthropy and opened to the public in 2023. Many elements of the building refresh include accessibility additions from the ramp at the entrance, to the lighting, to the art identification placards.

The newly preserved and refreshed space, which formerly housed the Barnes collection from 1925 to 2011, is now reactivated as an accessible, educational space for both the University campus and broader community. The Maguire Art Museum is able to actively display over 500 pieces of art concurrently, creating a place to rotate the University’s 2,500-piece permanent collection. 

Campion Dining Hall underwent a complete remodel with new and expanded seating area, modern amenities and aesthetics. An architect and design team worked with students on program offerings and seating design. 

Many Jesuits enrich academic and campus life as the sponsoring apostolic community of Saint Joseph’s University. Therefore, the University partnered with the Jesuit East Province to bring a new Jesuit residence to campus, Arrupe Hall. The newly opened residence, located in the heart of campus on Lapsley Lane, allows Jesuits from Saint Joseph’s and other Philadelphia locations to live and work together in a collaborative, active ministry. Arrupe Hall builds upon the University’s strong Jesuit identity and tradition, and is designed to be a hub of activity for the Jesuit community, providing new academic, sacramental and pastoral opportunities on campus. Construction was funded by the Province on land provided by Saint Joseph’s. The Jesuit community moved into their new home in April of 2021.

To accommodate foundational scientific learning, Saint Joseph’s fully renovated two laboratories in the Hawk Hill Science Center in the summer of 2023 to accommodate additional first-year students. Beginning in the fall of 2023, all first-year housing and coursework re-located to the Hawk Hill campus. The undergraduate experience will fully transition to Hawk Hill over the next few years. 

New cabinets, tables and surfaces opened up capacity for more students and modernized the laboratories.