[dropcap sid=”dropcap-1446585320″]T[/dropcap]he future Allen G. and Mary E. Aaronson Student Center took a major step forward as Baruch College signed a 15-year lease agreement (with an option to renew for an additional 15 years) with the U.S. Post Office for space in its historic building on 23rd Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues, the heart of Baruch’s campus.
Now, with the help of an architect, the College is transforming the rough, unfinished 6,486-square-foot space with the goal of opening the center in 2020. Students will enter the Aaronson Center on the south side of 24th Street, across from the main Newman Vertical Campus (NVC) entrance. The center will offer designated meeting spaces for Baruch’s more than 160 student clubs and organizations. Currently clubs share limited space on the second floor of the NVC.
The new student center is made possible by a generous gift from the late Allen G. Aaronson (’48), who, though he supported a variety of initiatives—he endowed the Allen G. Aaronson Department of Marketing and International Business in 2011—was foremost determined to support student activities. As a student, he held leadership roles on, among others, the Interclub Board and Student Council and deemed those “experiences key to my maturation and educational development, serving me well for the rest of my life.”
“Allen is a powerful example,” said Art King, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “Before he passed away in 2016 at the age of 90, he saw Baruch’s students rally around his vision. Since 2011, they have ‘taxed’ themselves an additional fee to help fund the new center.” He added, “The students are excited to see the center become a hub of activity and engagement. What a great day it will be for Baruch when the Aaronson Student Center opens.”