Mercy University, Villages of Dobbs Ferry and Irvington, NY

MGS has represented Mercy University (formerly known as Mercy College) for many years in connection with a number of local land use approvals needed for a variety of major improvements to the Dobbs Ferry campus, which is located in both the Villages of Dobbs Ferry and Irvington. These included a $30 million, 350-bed dormitory on its Dobbs Ferry campus. The project required Site Plan and Special Use Permit approvals from the Village of Dobbs Ferry, following an extensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process in accordance with the NY State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).  MGS has also represented the College in connection with additional upgrades to the Dobbs Ferry campus including a renovated gymnasium, known as Victory Hall.

More recently, in August of 2022 MGS obtained approvals from the Villages of Irvington and Dobbs Ferry for a major renovation to the campus environment. This included the redesign of its main entrance with improved turning and traffic circulation, a dedicated right-turn lane exiting the campus, sustainable landscaping, and new “Mercy University” signs on either side of the entry driveway from Broadway/Route 9.  In addition, the approvals facilitated other improvements such as a raised pedestrian bridge where the Old Croton Aqueduct (OCA) crosses the entry driveway, a second entry lane to prevent backups of the driveway on occasional high-traffic days, and surface improvements to the OCA trail on the campus. Improvements to the parking lot, including blue light towers with cameras and stormwater management features to promote sustainable practices, as well as the construction of a 4,100 square-foot permanent open-aired pavilion in The Grove area of the campus were part of the overall project.