In an email on Tuesday, Dec. 5, University President Rev. Peter M. Donahue, OSA, PhD announced to the community a plan for a new building to house Falvey Library at the current site of Kennedy Hall, which is colloquially known as the University’s bookstore.
The new building will be named the Vic Maggitti Hall, in recognition of a $20 million leadership gift that will fund the construction of the new building from Victor J. Maggitti, Jr., a 1956 graduate of the University’s business school.
“A centerpiece of Villanova’s campus, the new Falvey Library at Vic Maggitti Hall represents a profound investment in Villanova’s future,” Father Peter said in a press release. “Located in the heart of campus, Maggitti Hall will have an immediate impact on our academic community, serve the University’s long-range goals and be a source of pride for all Villanovans.”
The new building is a part of the University’s ongoing plan to update its facilities, which is outlined in the University’s Strategic Plan, Rooted. Restless. These updates are intended to support the University’s position as a leading national research institution.
The new building was designed with input from more than 400 students, faculty and staff. The new and improved Falvey Library will have five floors of technology-enabled spaces that will facilitate research capacity and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Maggitti wanted to give back to his alma mater and update the facility because he used the library regularly during his college years.
“Villanova’s library was important to me when I was a student, and it is even more critical in today’s world,” Maggitti said in the release. “The value and relevance of academic libraries have only expanded in the 21st century. All top-tier universities are expected to have an exceptional library with technology, study space, staffing and collections vital to research and learning—and Villanova should be no different.”
The building will be 150,000 square feet, and the extra space will allow current existing services to expand in the new building. New features of the building will include areas to showcase rare and distinctive collections, an expanded digital scholarship suite, on-site general collections, engaging event spaces, a floor dedicated to the student learning experience, a Research and Teaching Commons, an “impressive” main entrance and a significant increase in study seats and meeting rooms.
“Falvey Library’s new home in Vic Maggitti Hall will be transformative, enabling even greater support for the current and future needs of Villanova’s academic community,” University Librarian and Director of Falvey Library Millicent Gaskell said in the release. “It will be a modern, welcoming space for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to come together as they advance their intellectual pursuits.”
In addition to the money from Maggitti, gifts from the Luckow Family Foundation, the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Family Foundation and the Waterhouse Family Foundation also have provided funds for the project.
The $150 million project will begin in the summer of 2024 with the demolition of Kennedy Hall. The new building is scheduled to be completed by the winter of 2027.
Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP designed the project.
