A ceremonial groundbreaking is planned for Meliora Weekend.
Construction will begin in the first week of August on a new Student Life building designed to strengthen and support University of Rochester Student Life programming and establish a new home for the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life. The two-story, 15,000-square-foot building on Intercampus Drive, next to Library Lot, will add new gathering, rehearsal, and programmatic space on the River Campus for all students. The second level will be the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life, a new home for Hillel at the University. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2027.
Though planning for this building was publicly announced in fall 2024, the effort behind it stretches back more than a decade, with fundraising underway for many years. Like the new Joseph P. Mack Catholic Center, the project addresses longstanding space constraints at the University’s Interfaith Chapel. Built in 1970 to serve roughly 4,000 undergraduates and three religious traditions, the chapel today supports 14 religious-affiliated student groups and demand for space has outgrown what it can provide.
Together, the addition of this new Student Life building, along with the interior renovations underway at Interfaith Chapel, will have a positive and meaningful impact on the student experience, in alignment with the University’s Boundless Possibility strategic plan.
“This building reflects who we are as a University, a place where every student can find belonging, connection, and space to grow, no matter their background or beliefs,” says URochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf. “It’s a meaningful step forward for Student Life at Rochester.”
“We are proud to present a new space with the future of campus at the heart of the design where the entire URochester community is welcomed to connect, engage, and thrive in what is being conceptualized as an academic, social, and event oasis on campus,” says Vice President for Student Life John Blackshear.
The ground floor’s design is flexible to meet students’ various needs. An open lobby will provide a comfortable place to study or gather informally, while a ballroom that can be split into two sections can also host smaller events and offer dedicated rehearsal space for the University’s dance and other performance organizations. Because performance groups and other student organizations have often had to share the same limited practice areas, this new rehearsal space is hoping to ease scheduling pressures.
A main-level conference room and an upper-level outdoor patio round out the spaces, adding still more room for meetings, programming, and gatherings throughout the year. Included in the building design is an elevated sidewalk lined with planters and benches, which will run along the UHS Building to connect the Student Life building to Susan B. Anthony Circle. A lower patio with picnic tables, ground cover, and mature trees will be located between the two buildings. An upper terrace will be lined with shrubs and flowering perennials, and new, mature trees will be planted around the site.
A new home for Jewish life on the River Campus
Construction of the Greenbaum Center traces back to lead gifts from University Trustee David Greenbaum ’73 and his wife, Laureine, who pledged in total $3.5 million with the vision of the Center being a resource for Hillel programming and the broader student community.
“We are honored to help create a beautiful new campus space where Jewish students at URochester can deepen their identity and feel a true sense of belonging,” says David Greenbaum. “We are excited to see this vision become a reality and we hope the new Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life will serve generations of Hillel students as a vibrant home for spiritual life, learning, and community.”
The Greenbaum Center will play an important role in enhancing the residential life of the Jewish community on campus and can also serve as a resource to the entire Rochester area Jewish community.
Looking ahead
As construction begins in August, the most immediate and visible impact will be on parking. Roughly half of the Library Lot will be used for construction staging through summer 2027. Existing Library Lot permit holders will retain their permit access throughout construction and are expected to experience minimal disruption.
The Student Life portion of the building is being funded by the University as an investment in the student experience. The Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life is funded through donor funds. To learn about supporting the project, visit the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life donor page.
A ceremonial groundbreaking is planned for October 1, 2026, during Meliora Weekend. The architecture and design firm, CetraRuddy, envisions the building as a place where architecture reinforces community, creating welcoming spaces that encourage connection and belonging, while supporting student well-being.
For updates as construction progresses, visit the University’s Capital Projects Construction page. View the project’s FAQ here.
