Pace University’s Performing Arts College Will Anchor Campus Redesign

By Eric Althoff

NEW YORK—Gotham isn’t the most likely place to think of when it comes to the word “sands,” but students and administrators at Pace University are certainly grateful for alumnus Rob Sands, who has donated $25 million to his alma mater for its newest college, the Sands College of Performing Arts. Opening this fall, the new school, Pace’s seventh, is named in honor of Sands and his wife Pamela. The Sands College will anchor One Pace Plaza, the university’s main turf and a popular neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.

The Sands College will fall under Pace’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and Pace School and represents the first new such program in the city in a half-century. The school will draw upon New York’s significant breadth of talent in the theater scene to invite guest speakers, leverage industry connections as well as program various classroom activities.

FXCollaborative of Brooklyn is currently in the design phase of the Sands College. No construction manager or general contractor has yet been selected, according to representatives of the university queried by School Construction News.

The Sands College represents one piece of how Pace is reimaging Once Place Plaza. In addition to the performing arts school, the renovated plaza will be home to three theaters, as well as costume shops, dressing rooms, dance studios and various other support spaces. One Pace Plaza will also feature new classrooms and modern common spaces and living quarters.

“The creation of the College and the transformation of One Pace Plaza will cement Pace’s place in the downtown arts scene—and Pace’s reputation as a leading performing arts school,” Rob Sands, the alumnus and donor, said of the project. “Pamela and I are proud to have our names associated with such a rich history of student success, and we’re excited about the university’s bold plans for supporting our students as they work to meet the challenges of our time.”

Pace University was founded in 1906, with twin campuses downtown as well as in nearby Westchester County. In addition to its art programs, Pace offers degrees in healthcare, law, business, education and computer science.