That’s the message of the University’s latest climate action plan annual report.

“As a University, we’re working toward a more sustainable world and doing the part that we can do here, both in the physical plant, as well as the academic realm and the relationships to the community,” said Marco Valera, vice president of administration, who issues the report annually as part of the University’s commitment to sustainability.

The latest report details not only strides that the department of facilities made in 2021—such as converting 90% of the lights in the Rose Hill Gym to LEDs—but also Fordham’s plans for the future and the efforts it has made since 2007, when the University joined the NYC Carbon Challenge and committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2017. Fordham extended that commitment in 2017 by pledging a 40% reduction by 2030; to date, Fordham has reduced its carbon emissions intensity by 31.77% and its energy consumption by 16.64% from its 2005 base-year levels.

“We think we’re in a good place; we’re getting closer to our 40% target to reduce those gases by 2030. We continue to roll out projects that will achieve that,” he said, noting that he’s working in conjunction with Fordham’s Center for Community Engaged Learning, which just issued the University’s Laudato Si’ action plan. That plan, he said, covers the broader sustainability efforts of the Fordham community, while his plan focuses primarily on the bricks-and-mortar realm.

Some facilities projects, such as the installation of 2,790 solar panels on the Rose Hill parking garage, are well known, but other less-obvious ones detailed in the report are no less important. In 2015, for instance, Fordham completed two strategic Light Emitting Diode (LED) re-lamping initiatives on the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, thus conserving 712,000 kilowatts of energy annually, and installed its first fuel cell powering the Walsh Family Library, with several more similar installations planned for the Rose Hill campus.

In addition to adding space to the University’s footprint, new structures on campus are being constructed to achieve—at a minimum—the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) new construction Silver rating. The Joseph M. McShane, S.J. Campus Center, which was dedicated in April, was designed to follow the energy efficiency standard known as passive house. It features triple-glazed windows; automatic lighting controls; LED lights; recycled materials; and heat recovery mechanical ventilation wheels, which reuse the building’s heat in cooler months. When the final phase of construction is complete, the center’s Marketplace dining space will also be fully renovated and will include a new food composting initiative which is expected to reduce green house emissions by 876,000 pounds each year.

When it comes to future projects, Valera said that he expects that work on a new solar canopy array generating nearly one megawatt of electricity at the Westchester campus parking lot will begin within a year. The University is also committed to connecting one or several buildings on the Rose Hill campus to geothermal power within the next five years. In the meantime, projects like the replacement of lights in the Rose Hill Gym with LEDs and installation of new fuel cell plants will continue.

The Facilities Department is also conducting audits of the University’s most energy-intensive buildings, such as the Walsh Family Library, to make sure all their systems are in tip-top shape.

“Over time, building systems can have equipment breakdowns that you just don’t see. So, we’ll do an energy study on each major building and then out of that will come small projects that can be done. It can be anything from replacing elevator motors with more efficient motors to replacing small boilers,” Valera said.

“It’s just like you would do for a house. If you were intending to live in it for 100 years, you would want to go geothermal, you would want to get solar panels on the roof, and you might think about reinsulating your attic and exteriors a little better.”

Valera said the spike in energy costs triggered by the war in Ukraine has made the University’s past investments in energy efficiency even more fruitful. At Fordham’s London campus, the price of natural gas shot up 500%, while in the United States, the cost of electricity has risen 40%. At that rate, it becomes much more economical to pay the upfront costs of expensive equipment upgrades.

“We have a rule of thumb that we try to do projects that have a five-or-less-year return on investment first. It’s probably half that now,” he said. 

“We’re getting a huge increase in utility costs, and so that’s going to drive up the energy savings from replacing legacy equipment that’s inefficient.” 

For the fifth time, the Arbor Day Foundation included Fordham in its list of colleges and universities recognized for their commitment to trees through Tree Campus Higher Education, a national program launched in 2008 by the foundation.

“Trees not only play a vital role in the environment but also in our daily lives,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation.

“Having trees on college and university campuses is a great way to show a commitment to students and faculty’s overall wellbeing.”

The program, which began as Tree Campus USA, honors schools that meet five core standards: establishment of a tree advisory committee, creation of a campus tree-care plan, annual funding for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and sponsorship of student service-learning projects. Fordham first began participating in the program in  2015.

The University is home to hundreds of trees, including more than 500 on the Rose Hill campus. Rose Hill boasts one of the oldest American elm trees in New York City, estimated to be 270 years old. It has towered over Cunniffe House since Fordham’s founding.

Marco Valera, vice president for administration, said the conservation efforts were an important part of Fordham’s sustainability efforts. In addition to maintaining the trees on the Rose Hill, Lincoln Center, and Westchester campuses, the University utilizes a former orchard at the Louis Calder Center in Armonk to nurture several dozen American Elms, Red Maples, Northern Red Oaks, and Japanese Maples for planting in new locations.

On March 16, Fordham received a helping hand from the State of New York, which awarded the University a $5 million matching capital grant from the Higher Education Capital Match Program (HECap).

The grant, which is administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), will pay for construction of the glass-covered arcade, or passageway, that will connect the new 71,000-square-foot, four-level addition to a renovated McGinley Center, the Rose Hill Gym, and the Lombardi Center. The addition is set to open this fall. 

A Partnership with State Government

For every dollar in state matching funds, private, not-for-profit colleges and universities in New York must provide $3 in support of their projects. The projected timeline of the campus center’s Phase II renovation is expected to be 14 months.

Fordham was one of 35 colleges and universities to receive the grant this year. Lesley Massiah-Arthur, associate vice president and special assistant to the president for government relations, whose office secured the grant, said she was thrilled that Fordham received the maximum amount possible. A major part of the application process centered around demonstrating that the project will generate jobs and benefit the community at large, she said.

“What this investment allows us to do is not only expand the University’s resources for our students but to expand community access to the University,” she said, noting that Fordham allows community nonprofits to hold meetings on campus, free of charge.

Contributing to the Economy

At $5 million, the grant is the largest in a series of grants totaling $14.75 million that Fordham has secured from the state over the last five years. Last year, a $2.5 million State and Municipal Facilities Grant was awarded for lab renovations at John Mulcahy Hall. In 2018, the University received a $3.75 million HECap grant for a steam boiler replacement in Thebaud Hall. And in 2019, Massiah-Arthur’s office secured a $1 million HECap grant for renovating the façade and creating an open green space at Lincoln Center.

Massiah-Arthur said the funds showed that leaders in Albany appreciate the value that private colleges and universities bring to the state’s economy. According to a 2017 report by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, Fordham’s total economic impact on the New York City region is $1.5 billion.

The project will also generate approximately 250 union jobs, ranging from laborers to engineers, over the course of the contract.

“The fact that independent universities have a capital program [HECap] that’s specific to us demonstrates that our capital construction is very important, especially when you consider that as a sector, our institutions contribute about $88 billion to the New York state economy,” she said.

“This just goes to show that a partnership between the state and our sector can be a benefit not just for the institution but the state, the regions, and communities we’re in.”

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, who recently served as chair of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, said he was gratified that New York’s leaders see institutions like Fordham as partners worthy of support.

“The new center will be at the heart of the campus experience and therefore at the heart of the University’s mission,” Father McShane said.

“It will bring together all students, faculty, and staff under one roof, in a space that maximizes opportunities for shared meals, shared learning, and shared recreation. We are grateful that the Dormitory Authority recognized both Fordham’s need and our contribution to the state’s intellectual, cultural, and financial health.”

A Unique, Light-Filled Space

The arcade and the new entrance to the center promise to be the most dramatic of all the elements of the new campus center. Marco Valera, vice president for administration, said that the only other building that currently features a large indoor space bathed in natural light from above is the Platt Court atrium at the Lincoln Center Campus.

In addition to joining the original McGinley Center with the addition, the new arcade will stretch to the east and north to envelop the space separating those two buildings from the Rose Hill Gym and the Lombardi Center.

It is also arguably the trickiest part of the construction, Valera said, as it requires demolition, rehabilitation, and construction in close proximity to spaces that will continue to be occupied.

“The uniqueness of this particular space is that it joins the new building with the old stonework of the gym, so you’ve got a little flavor of the kind of gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where they join old buildings to new buildings,” he said.

More space. Calming, relaxing, and inspiring space. Space for meeting friends and colleagues. Any way you look at it, the new campus center under construction at the Rose Hill campus will be a radically different space when it is completed in 2025.

That’s one of the key takeaways of architectural renderings of the center that lead architect HLW International LLP released this month. The center, which will join a brand new, 71,000-square-foot, four-level structure together with the existing McGinley Center, the Rose Hill Gym, and the Lombardi Center, will dramatically increase the amenities available for students, faculty, and staff on campus.

Construction and renovations will take place in two phases. In the first phase, a new structure will be erected in front of the existing McGinley Center. This new addition is estimated to cost $85 million. Once that building is finished in August 2021, the two will be joined together by an arcade that will also extend over the space adjacent to the Rose Hill Gym. The next phase of work will renovate the interior spaces of the existing McGinley Center.

A Space Where All Are Welcome

The first phase of construction will bring online several areas that will enhance the quality of life for students and the entire campus community. The first floor will be dominated by a 9,500-square-foot lounge that spans nearly the entire floor and will be outfitted with seating arrangements catering to groups and individuals.

HLW managing partner John Gering said the firm’s charge is to design a space that feels like a “home away from home” and encourages commuter students and resident students to comingle in new ways. The layouts of the first floor of Hughes Hall and the Starbucks in Dealy Hall offer a good template, he said.

“Everyone’s in there, hanging out. There are different types of seating arrangements and different heights of seating,” he said.

“If someone wants to cuddle up in a corner with a laptop, they can do that, or if they want to be part of a bigger table, they can do that too. The new lounge area really emulates that.”

The second floor of the new addition will feature expanded offices dedicated to Career Services, Campus Ministry, and the Center for Community Engaged Learning. The third floor will have a large, versatile space specifically designed for meetings and special events.

A Focus on Sports and Fitness

Getting your sweat on will be the name of the game on the basement level of the unified center, in a space that is double that of the current fitness center. A new, state-of-the-art 20,000-square-foot fitness center will be open to all students, faculty, and staff. Fordham Athletics will gain 16,000 square feet of space; a modern strength and conditioning center will occupy 10,000 square feet of that space, while the rest will be devoted to offices and meeting space, as well as a refueling station where student-athletes can grab nutritious food and drinks after training. There will also be “Grab and Go”-style retail facilities and vending machines on the first floor and the gym, for quick access.

Fordham’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics David Roach noted that moving into the campus center will free up sorely needed space in other areas of Fordham’s athletics facilities. The current strength and conditioning center underneath the grandstand at Coffey Field will become an outdoor sports medicine room, for instance.

“By getting additional space in the new student center, it frees up other spaces in the athletics footprint and we can provide things and do things that are great for our student-athletes,” he said.

“Anything that’s a plus for the University and addresses the needs of students is good for student-athletes and helps us in recruiting great students to Fordham.”

More Dining Options

In the second phase of construction, whose schedule is still being developed, the existing Marketplace dining area will be completely upgraded, reimagined, and redesigned. Chief among the additions being considered are separate food preparation stations where students will be able to see their meals as they are prepared, and an expansion of menu choices to offer a wide variety of student favorites and accommodate special preferences and dietary and nutritional needs. There will also be a new stand-alone retail dining space across from the large lounge, providing food and beverages for those who want to hang out or are on their way to meetings and events.

Renovations will also be made in the second phase to provide bigger and better student club and organization space, additional meeting rooms, and an expansion of the current ballroom to a capacity of 800. There will also be expanded and improved space for the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Student Involvement, as well as student groups that access these offices for support and socializing.

A Bridge Between New and Old

The glass canopy between the gym and the new structure is meant to form a bridge between it and the century-old gym.

“When you’re looking at the building at night, it’s going to be very well illuminated, along with the tower. It creates a void between the new and the old in a way that it doesn’t look like they’re competing,” Gering said.

The campus center is the third major project that HLW has undertaken for Fordham in recent years; the firm designed the renovation of the sixth floor of the Lowenstein Center in 2018 and the $38 million renovation of Hughes Hall in 2013.

HLW has extensive experience designing academic and corporate spaces, said Marco Valera, Fordham’s vice president for administration. He noted the firm’s work on Hofstra University’s Zarb School of Business demonstrated how its design seamlessly connects new structures with old ones.

Valera predicted that the visual effect of the new arcade will be especially pronounced for the space between the existing McGinley Center and the Lombardi Center to the north.

“It’s a very dull space, and with this new design we’ll really invigorate the space between the buildings bringing the whole complex together,” he said. “Activity flows to the gym for games and to Lombardi for events.”

Gering said designers spent a lot of time incorporating details that make Rose Hill distinct. When the second-floor ballroom is renovated, for instance, Gering said the entrance doors and the front will incorporate elements inspired by and similar in character to the north entrance door of Cunniffe House.

“What we’ve done in the design of the campus center is take those details, be they the patterning of the curbing or the stone, or the pocket areas, and bring it inside. There’ll be a sense of, ‘hmmm, this kind of looks familiar,’” he said.

The exterior of the addition, with its ground-to-ceiling stone columns and large glass windows, is likewise a modern interpretation of Rose Hill’s traditional gothic architecture.

Construction Challenges

Valera said construction will be a delicate dance, as it will take place on a site that is still very much in use. The canopy of the arcade, for instance, may need to be constructed partly at night to minimize disruption.

“The issue is, how can we undertake the necessary construction work and still keep the buildings in operation? There will be some impact, there’s no way around it. There will be noise, but the goal will be to minimize that as much as possible,” he said.

Rejuvenate, Revitalize, and Relax

Gering said the goal is to make the center a focus of not only activity but also renewal. Natural light is a key part of wellness, he said, which is why the glass gallery is so important. Stairs and ramps will also be strategically placed within the interior of the space, to encourage students to get in more steps.

“Where there are stairs, there’s usually a function next to it, which will encourage students to use the stairs to get to the function, rather than just slip into an elevator,” he said.

Some of the features meant to lend an aura of calmness, like a green wall that will be cultivated with live ivy and moss on the side of the gym, will be obvious, while others will be subtler. As an example, the glass cladding on both the tower adjacent to the main entrance and the multifunction room on the third floor will be fritted glass, which has a slightly opaque finish that reduces glare.

The building is designed to LEED Silver level and follows the energy efficiency standard known as passive house. This means features such as triple glazed windows (most skyscrapers only have single or double glazing); automatic lighting controls; recycled materials; and in a first for the Rose Hill campus, heat recovery mechanical ventilation wheels, which reuse the building’s heat in cooler months.

As part of a continuing commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, Fordham has increased its sustainable energy sources with the use of on- and off-campus solar arrays.

A 963-kilowatt solar panel array was recently installed atop the five-story parking garage on Fordham’s Rose Hill campus and is expected to be operational in April, thus dramatically increasing the University’s embrace of renewable energy.

The array, which comprises 2,790 individual solar panels, is the second to be installed at Rose Hill and will generate electricity for use throughout the campus. In 2010, 84 panels were installed on the roof of William D. Walsh Family Library; they generate 25 kilowatts for the library, Rose Hill’s most energy-intensive building.

The University has also begun drawing renewable energy from off-site sources, including the largest solar-power system in New York City to date. In July, Fordham signed a 20-year agreement with the solar developer EnterSolar to purchase electricity generated at a 10-acre, 9,000 solar panel installation just east of the Arthur Kill waterway in Staten Island. It will generate up to 2.6 megawatts of solar power annually, which will be credited to Fordham’s energy usage.

A Greener Source of Energy

Marco A. Valera, vice president of facilities management and sustainability at Fordham, said that the new power sources can provide over 20 percent of the total electric consumption at the university when operating at maximum production. It makes Fordham the largest consumer of locally installed solar capacity of any college in New York City and goes a long way toward cutting the University’s carbon output.

In 2007, Fordham accepted the New York City Carbon Challenge and committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent. In the fall of 2017, the University extended its commitment to the challenge by pledging a 40 percent reduction by 2030.

In addition to cutting back on carbon emissions, the combined off- and on-site arrays will result in approximately $200,000 annual savings for Fordham for 20 years.

“This is a terrific initiative for the University, as we achieve budget savings over the term of the 20-year contract at the same time that we significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emission profile,” he said.

“Sustainability ties into Jesuit beliefs and practices. It’s good for the environment, and in this case, it is good for us financially. It’s a win-win.”

Julie Milea, FCRH ’17, EnterSolar’s engineer for the Rose Hill project, added that solar power is not only cost-effective but an efficient use of green or renewable power. It draws the most power during peak daylight hours, exactly when there is the most electric use in buildings.

Valera said that the cost of solar panels has recently become more economically feasible, but that tax breaks and grants from federal and state governments on renewable energy sources still play a big role in making them affordable, especially in northern parts of the country where solar hours are limited.

The University is also pursuing other sites for additional solar arrays, including a 8-kilowatt array that will be installed on the roof of Campbell Hall later this year and partly funded by Fordham graduates.

These are the words that Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, spoke to 10 members of the University’s support staff, facilities workers, and custodial crew at the 36th anniversary celebration of the 1841 Awards. The awards ceremony, named after the year Fordham was founded, was held on Nov. 29 in Bepler Commons. It recognizes the day-to-day operations employees who have worked at the University for either two or four decades. This year, there were 15 award recipients. (Five of them were unable to attend the ceremony.)

They are the ones who sort mail, plow snow from sidewalks, preserve Rose Hill’s historic woodwork, and give behind-the-scenes support to the University’s students and faculty. Many of them are also the proud parents of Fordham alumni and current students.

Among this year’s recipients were immigrants from Poland, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and the island of Barbados. One awardee—Saul Morales—is a custodian who informally taught Spanish to other Fordham employees and has been known to sing while polishing the floor, unknowingly serenading nearby staff. But as a whole, said Father McShane, they are Fordham’s keystone—the pieces that keep the University together.

“Everyone relies on you. Without you, the great arch of Fordham would not be able to stand,”  Father McShane told them.

Jonathan Crystal, Ph.D., interim provost, lauded one employee—Anne-Marie Sweeney, executive secretary in the theology department—for her commitment in coming to work last summer despite nursing a fractured knee.

“Anne-Marie returned to work as speedily as possible, using crutches to navigate the halls and sitting at her desk with one leg up on her guest chair,” he said. “The image was emblematic of her career at Fordham, which over her 20 years, has also become the alma mater of her beloved daughter Katie and son Jimmy.”

Peter A. Stace, senior vice president for enrollment and strategy, complimented another awardee—Lorraine Prainito, senior enrollment operations representative—for her diligence, frankness, and sense of style.

“Lorraine always comes to work in high heels, looking her best,” Stace said, gesturing toward her black stiletto boots. “Colleagues look up to her for her much-needed advice on work, as well as fashion, health, and dieting tips. We think of her as the office therapist.”

The anecdotes were tinged with both humor and humility. One awardee, a Rose Hill custodian named Cesar Merejo, was reluctant to receive thanks for his decades of service.

“He felt it was he who should be thanking the University for offering him this opportunity,” Marco A. Valera, vice president for facilities management, told the audience. “He says—and I quote—‘I always tried to pass this message to my coworkers, especially the new ones: to appreciate and understand what it means to work in a great place such as Fordham.’” A few seats away, another awardee, foreman-turned-postal clerk Carlos A. Mendoza, nodded his head.

Mendoza’s 20-year-old stepson, Genssey Paula, applauded his stepfather. He said Mendoza taught him that no matter where you’re from and what you experience, you can still succeed in life.

“I’m proud that he’s been here for 20 years, supporting the community,” Paula said.

As administrators praised them from the podium, the awardees stood and listened a few paces away. Before them were their family members and friends, who rose from their seats and snapped photos with their smartphones. Beside them was Father McShane, who shook their hands and hung gold medallions around their heads. But once in a while, Father McShane would murmur something to each person—perhaps a question or joke—and the two would laugh together quietly.

As Father McShane thanked each employee at the end of the ceremony, one award recipient—John Borrelli Jr., who works in the mail room at Lincoln Center campus—swiped tears from his cheeks. He said he was grateful that his mother Candida Borrelli, who has cancer, was able to watch him win the 1841 Award.

“I’ve met so many people over the years—staff, students. I have wonderful coworkers, a great supervisor … I’m blessed to have this job I’ve had here [for 20 years],” he said. “It’s been beautiful here at Fordham.”

The 1841 Award Recipients for 2018

Twenty-Year Medalists

John Borrelli Jr.—Lincoln Center Mail Room

Kazimierz Gorski—Facilities Operations, Lincoln Center

Emma Lostumbo—Custodial Services, Rose Hill

Anthony Matthews—Facilities Operations, Lincoln Center

Carlos A. Mendoza—Rose Hill Post Office

Cesar Merejo—Custodial Services, Rose Hill

Nanette Michel—Graduate School of Education

Saul Morales—Grounds and Transportation

Helen A. Norgard—Grounds and Transportation

Diane Pinero—School of Law

Lorraine Prainito—Enrollment Services

Daniel M. Reilly—Facilities Operations, Rose Hill

Winston Rose—Facilities Operations, Lincoln Center

Anne-Marie Sweeney—Theology

Forty Year-Medalist

Michael Cioffi—Custodial Services, Rose Hill

“We are pleased to be part of this effort to conserve a valuable resource,” said Marco A. Valera, vice president for facilities management at Fordham. “Although this NYC challenge is for the Lincoln Center campus, we will be taking similar steps at our Rose Hill campus.”

According to the DEP, universities can make a big dent in citywide water demand, as New York is home to more university students than any other city in the nation. The goal will be to reduce water consumption by at least 5 percent by 2020. Water use in residence halls, dining halls, and irrigation of green spaces are will all be targeted.

“The NYC Water Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for Fordham to reflect and reorient our urban water responsibility—to reflect on patterns of use and waste, and to reorient toward conscious water consumption on individual and institutional levels,” said Christiana Zenner, Ph.D., associate professor of theology, whose research examines water as a scarce resource and as a commodity. “The NYDEP’s vision is concrete, constructive, and creative.”

The challenge lasts two years, from August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2020. As a participant, Fordham will be provided with technical assistance from the city to complement an already robust sustainability program.

Responding to a request from students, the University has signed on to a petition initiated by the group Put A Price On It. The petition calls upon elected representatives to “act collectively on behalf of current and future generations by putting a price on carbon.” So far, 32 colleges have signed on.

The Put A Price On It campaign is being spearheaded by the group Our Climate, and was inspired in part by the release of the Emmy award-winning documentary series Years of Living Dangerously, which appeared on the National Geographic Channel.

Samuel Blackwood and Kyle J. Kilkenny, sophomores at Fordham College at Lincoln Center and fellows at Our Climate, are heading the campus drive. Other Fordham students involved include junior Madeleine Kim and sophomores Isaac Bird and Cristina Mendez.

Blackwood, an international studies major, said carbon pricing is a system in which industries agree to pay a set price for the privilege of emitting carbon into the atmosphere. Because it’s based on free-market principles, he said, the idea draws bipartisan support, most notably from the Climate Solutions caucus comprised of 19 Democrats and 19 Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Climate change is the biggest issue facing humanity, but it’s also one of the most intersectional issues. I have seen incredible unity among young people on it,” he said.

“I always say, when we’re fighting climate change, we aren’t just fighting to save the world; we’re fighting to create a better one.”

Marco Valera, vice president for facilities management, signed the petition on Fordham’s behalf. He said Put A Price On It dovetails with Fordham’s goal of reducing its carbon output 30 percent by the end of the year. The University is pursuing this goal with efforts such as investing in solar power and replacing every light bulb on campus with energy efficient LEDs.

“We believe the Put A Price On It initiative, if instituted in a reasonable manner, fits with Fordham’s overall mission and will have a positive impact,” he said.

To celebrate Arbor Day, the Tree Care Industry Association presented the University with an award for its stewardship and preservation of the unique collection of American elms on campus.

Marc Valera, vice president for facilities, accepted the award on behalf of the University from Sachin Mohan, vice president of corporate relations and marketing at the Tree Care Industry Association. Joining them were Steve Farelly, owner and founder of Emerald Tree & Shrub Care Company, and Anthony Bulfamante, president of A. Bulfmante Landscaping.

A pin oak tree that was donated to the University by A. Bulfmante Landscaping was also planted at the Martyr’s Lawn triangular bed.

—Photos by Jill LeVine

Chillers installed on the top floor of the future home for the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center, the Quinn Library, and Fordham College at Lincoln Center will convert steam from Con Edison’s 14th Street cogeneration plant.

On May 5th, representatives from the utility presented Fordham’s facilities management department with a check for $225,600, which the University will use to defray the costs of installing the chillers. When it opens, the building will be the second one on the Lincoln Center campus, along with the Lowenstein Center, to use steam to power its air conditioners.

Marco Valera, vice president for facilities, said the University has also negotiated a preferred rate for the steam, making it ideal for the building, which was completely gut-renovated.

“It allowed us to take advantage of what would be waste steam that ConEd generates. So in many ways it’s very green. We’re taking something that would not be utilized, and we’re using it in lieu of electrical power,” he said.

“By negotiating a preferred rate as well as a preliminary discount on the equipment, we’ve managed to have a return on investment of the physical plant of under 10 years, which is very good for an engineering plant.”

Charles Viemester, manager of steam business development at ConEd, said that the steam that New Yorkers occasionally see coming out of the distinct candy-stripe towers atop manhole covers offsets just short of 300 megawatts of electrical power in the summer, thanks to installations such as Fordham’s.

“You’re putting a very efficient energy source into the building, and by staying with steam, you’re keeping your carbon footprint down, too,” he said.

“Anytime you see a tall building, you’re probably looking at a place that’s sourced by steam. Steam is a very efficient way of getting energy up to the top of these tall buildings. The system has been in place for 137 years, and yet it is still finding new uses and new benefits to bring to the city.

Pictured: Deborah L. Russelli, director of business operations in the Office of the Vice President for Facilities Management; Fran Rooney, senior analyst, energy efficiency, Luthin Associates Energy Management Consulting; Marco Valera, vice present of facilities at Fordham; Joseph Scaltro, director of engineering services at Lincoln Center; Charles Viemester, manager steam business development at Con Edison; David Pospisil, manager, Commercial & Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs, Con Edison; Michelle D’Angelo, engineer, steam services, Con Edison; and Scott Springer, operations manager, commercial energy efficiency and demand management programs, Con Edison

The meeting will bring together representatives from a variety of city-based institutions at the Lincoln Center campus for a discussion of best practices.

The University joined the carbon challenge in 2007, and has taken numerous steps to limit its greenhouse gas output, even as it has expanded its physical footprint with spaces such as the new Law School building and four new residence halls.

For its efforts, Fordham was featured in NYC Carbon Challenge Handbook for Universities and Hospitals, a reference manual that the city issued in December that aggregates participants’ best practices to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions in their buildings.

Marco Valera, vice president for Facilities Management, said that one of the initiatives the University is still on target to meet is replacing every single light bulb with an LED by early 2017. His department is also looking at options to add 1.2 megawatts of solar power (about 20 percent of the University’s total electric base load) to its utility purchasing portfolio.

The University has also prioritized care for flora. On February 17, the Arbor Day foundation honored Fordham with a 2015 Tree Campus USA recognition for its commitment to effective urban forest management.

The university earned the designation because it satisfied five core standards for effective campus forest management: a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and a student service-learning project.

The university celebrated its entry into the Tree Campus USA program in April 2015 with the planting of a 15-foot high, 800-pound pin oak tree that had been transplanted from the Louis Calder Center in Armonk.

Valera said the two initiatives compliment each other and exemplify the Jesuit ideal of acting as stewards of the earth.

“Its good to see that your work is recognized, and it’s work that we will be doing in perpetuity as far as I’m concerned,” he said.