Construction has started on Syracuse University’s brand new National Veterans Resource Center.
The NVRC is being built at the corner of South Crouse Avenue and Waverly Avenue on the University Hill where the Hoople Building once sat.
Hoople was torn down about a year ago to make room for the new facility.
This week the project landed one of the largest charitable donations in the 147-year history of the school–a $20 million gift from U.S. Navy veteran and Life Trustee Daniel D’Aniello, SU Class of ’68 and his wife, Gayle.
Vice Chancellor and Director of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at SU, Mike Haynie, says, “I think it speaks to the power of what we’re trying to do here at Syracuse University related to serving not just veterans and families here in Central New York but all across the nation.”
A veteran himself, Haynie tells NewsChannel 9 that long after today’s leaders are gone from campus the NVRC will make an SU education attainable to a group that may not have thought it possible before.
“I’ve been able to see in the time I’ve been here how the opportunity for a Syracuse University education can change the trajectory of someone’s life.” Haynie says.
Construction started about a week ago and the plan is to work the next few months to get the ground and foundation ready.
By late spring or early summer the project should be at a stage where anyone passing by the site can start to see the facility emerging from the ground.
Haynie says, “The National Veterans Resource Complex is truly a first of its kind facility in all of higher education. “
Only a few years ago, a couple hundred student veterans where at SU, but today just over 1,200 are on campus.
Haynie says the NVRC affords SU the opportunity to continue that trajectory.
