Georgian Court University Selling 42 Acres to BMG

Statement from the GCU president on the land sale of 42 acres to the Lakewood yeshiva Beth Medrash Govoha including some buildings on Lakewood avenue negotiations began 2 years ago the president explained that Lakewood is becoming a center for higher education. Both GCU and BMG, the largest Yeshiva in the world outside of Israel, are focused on the education and advancement of young people to prepare them to enter the workforce and become upstanding citizens and active members of their communities. This sale will contribute to the educational community’s growth, while allowing us to reinvest back into our campus and fuel our growth in enrollment to benefit the community. This "partnership" will also provide Beth Medrash Govoha an opportunity to build new student housing units. These residences may ease the demand for housing, reduce local traffic congestion, and improve current parking shortages in the area. 

Statement from the GCU website "Since 1908, Georgian Court University has been guided by the wisdom of Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, whose motto was “Resolve to be good today, but better tomorrow.” As we endeavor into our second century of educating caring professionals and shaping whole persons, these words continue to ring true. 

 Today, I am proud to announce that after nearly two years of carefully considered negotiations, we have reached an agreement to sell some 42 acres of mostly unused land at the edge of our campus, and several administrative buildings along Lakewood Avenue, to our neighbors at Beth Medrash Govoha. As a Catholic university, we are called to be responsible for each other and care for the common good. This mutually beneficial partnership reflects our commitment to this core value and the Mercy tradition, enabling both communities to forge ahead to a better and brighter tomorrow.

For Georgian Court, this sale presents an incredible opportunity to meet the changing needs of our students and the greater community by leveraging one of our greatest assets: our geographic footprint. With more than 150 acres, GCU has, by far, the largest campus of any private religious educational institution in New Jersey. The proceeds from this sale will expedite the launch and expand the scope of our master plan, allowing us to reinvest in the historic heart of campus and provide dedicated facilities to accommodate some of our most rapidly growing academic programs. The enhancement of existing spaces and the development of cutting-edge new facilities will propel Georgian Court into the 21st century and improve the student experience, while preserving the classic charm that makes GCU such a special place to learn and teach". While this sale will allow GCU to reinvest back into our campus and fuel enrollment, it will also contribute to the development of the greater educational community as Lakewood gains respect as a center for the advancement of young people.

 As stewards of the land bestowed to us by the Sisters of Mercy, we are pleased that this partnership will also provide Beth Medrash Govoha an opportunity to build new student housing units. These residences may ease the demand for housing, reduce local traffic congestion, and improve current parking shortages in the area. While the precise construction timeline is undetermined, it will be planned to impose minimal interruption to the student, staff, and faculty experience. 

Our mission-focused commitment to growth and investment in our students and the communities we serve has driven more than $75 million in campus renovations, updates, and improvements over the past decade. With this sale, Georgian Court will build upon our progress, and solid financial foundation, to meet growing demand for our specialized fields of study". (GCU)

The land is located between 14th street Forest Avenue and 9th street. The units will be part of the yeshiva apartments, for kollel youngeleit learning in Beth Medrash Govoha. It will be owned by the yeshiva. The yeshiva also received a 3$ million grant to purchase land for a state of the art day care center  Interestingly according to news articles in the early 1940's The financial office of the Yeshiva, where Rav Aharon Kotler zatzal spent a lot of time, was at the St. James Building, located at 1133 Broadway, in Manhattan. The building was designed by the famous American architect, Bruce Price, who also designed the Georgian Court University in Lakewood.

Google Maps photo of Proposed land that runs along Forest Ave from 9th st to 14th.