NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — The Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund has acquired the former College of New Rochelle campus just north of the Bronx for $32 million, according to reports from The Journal News.
The college declared bankruptcy in September, and sister school Mercy College absorbed all the students, faculty and programs. Although specific plans for the future of the property were not disclosed, Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund operates Masonic Care Community, a seniors housing community in Utica. The group also runs a summer camp and DeWint House, George Washington’s former military headquarters.
The former college sits on 15.6 acres. It operated as a private catholic school for 115 years before a slew of unpaid bills and taxes totaling more than $30 million were discovered in 2016, according to the Journal News report. The school’s former controller Keith Borge pleaded guilty to fraud and is currently serving a three-year prison sentence.