Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Suffolk University Buys a Landmark

  • 09/26/19
Ames Building Suffolk University

Kenneth C. Zirkel

BOSTON, MA – Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly recently announced that the university has completed the purchase of the Ames building at 1 Court St. in Boston. The university plans to seek permitting for a new residence hall in the heart of Suffolk’s core downtown Boston campus, with a projected opening of fall 2020.

“This is a great opportunity for Suffolk and an important investment in our future,” says Kelly, who cited a strategic initiative to expand residence hall capacity on campus.

The next step toward this goal is undergoing the rigorous city review process necessary to permit the building for use as a residence hall, a process that will involve significant input from the Boston community. John Nucci, senior vice president for External Affairs for Suffolk University, and his team are leading this process.

“The opportunities that our students gain while living, studying, and working within our downtown Boston campus are exceptional,” says Kelly. “Expanding campus housing in this location will further facilitate this commitment both for the students who will live in the building and by offering additional opportunities to launch new or expanded partnerships with our neighbors.”

The Ames Building at 1 Court St., built in 1893, was the first skyscraper in Boston and the city's tallest building until 1915. It is steps from City Hall, the financial district, and the Old State House and within several blocks of key university buildings. It will become another centerpiece of Suffolk’s campus, helping to further solidify the university’s borderless community within the center of Boston.

Featured

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.