St. John's University sold its Staten Island campus to Wagner College, concluding a three-year effort to find a buyer for the 16.5-acre Grymes Hill property. The school began winding down operations there in 2022 and listed the site in 2023.

Terms of the deal remain undisclosed. The transaction resolves a significant real estate challenge for St. John's, which operates primary campuses in Queens and Manhattan. The Staten Island location had served as an underutilized satellite campus before the university decided to consolidate operations.

Wagner College, located across the island in the Gramercy neighborhood, secures substantial expansion land through the acquisition. The move signals Wagner's growth ambitions and provides the college with space for future academic and residential development on one of Staten Island's most prominent hilltop properties.

For St. John's, the sale unlocks capital from a dormant asset while eliminating ongoing operational costs. The university can now redirect resources toward its core Manhattan and Queens operations, where student demand remains concentrated. Faculty and staff affected by the Staten Island closure have already transitioned to other campuses.

Staten Island's real estate market gains a significant institutional player with Wagner's ownership. The Grymes Hill location commands views and sits within a residential neighborhood, opening possibilities for dormitory expansion, athletic facilities, or academic buildings. Wagner's stewardship of the property will shape the campus's role in local community development for years ahead.

The deal reflects broader trends in higher education, where universities increasingly consolidate physical footprints to match enrollment patterns and reduce financial strain. St. John's three-year search for a buyer underscores the challenges institutions face when divesting underperforming properties, particularly those requiring substantial campus infrastructure.

Wagner College gains a trophy asset in its hometown while St. John's resolves a lingering liability. Both institutions move forward with clearer strategic focuses