St. John’s University has completed the disposition of its Staten Island campus, transferring ownership to Wagner College in a transaction aimed at maintaining the site’s role in higher education and community service. The sale ensures that the former St. John’s property will remain in academic use rather than shifting to an alternative commercial or residential purpose.
Savills advised St. John’s University on the transaction, providing strategic and transactional support from marketing through closing. The assignment was handled by a team led by Arthur Mirante and David Carlos, working alongside Savills corporate managing directors Michael Bertini and Mark Todrys. Their mandate focused on identifying a buyer aligned with St. John’s institutional goals and community commitments.
Mirante described the sale as a mission-driven engagement that required St. John’s and its advisers to weigh financial considerations alongside institutional priorities and neighborhood impacts. He noted that the process involved balancing economic outcomes with the university’s desire to see the campus remain dedicated to higher education and community use over the long term.
By exiting the Staten Island campus, St. John’s University plans to redirect resources into its core academic programs and facilities on its primary campus in Queens, as well as its remaining international and global sites. The reallocation of capital and attention is intended to support the university’s broader strategic objectives and academic initiatives.
Wagner College, the buyer in the transaction, intends to fold the acquired campus into its existing institutional footprint. While specific integration plans were not detailed, the college’s stated intent is to use the property as an extension of its current operations, preserving the campus as an educational asset. No pricing, square footage, or financing details were disclosed in connection with the sale.
The transaction highlights continued activity in institutional real estate as universities adjust their physical footprints to align with evolving academic strategies. It also underscores the role of advisory firms such as Savills in structuring and executing education-focused property sales where mission alignment and community stewardship are central to the outcome.
