NEW ROCHELLE, NY (August 30, 2025) — The Masonic organization that owns the former College of New Rochelle campus plans to approach the city with a proposed development plan in September, according to an update from New Rochelle City Manager Wilfredo Melendez shared with a local neighborhood association.
The Residence Park Neighborhood Association, in a letter to neighbors, detailed the information from Melendez.
The Masons have had a recent change in board members, with the new board establishing a development team to review the property’s history since acquisition and determine a strategy for future operations, the letter stated.
According to a Masons representative, they remain committed to transforming the campus into a viable site that meets their needs, while addressing community concerns.
The Masons have been very appreciative of the recent dialogue they have had with the city in the past months, Melendez reported.
The neighborhood association has been in conversation with city officials regarding the status of the former campus, as discussed in the past two general meetings.
Neighbors are encouraged to attend the Fall Residence Park Neighborhood Association General Meeting on October 20th for any updates on the project.
Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund, owners of the campus, informed the U.S. Department of Justice in August 2024 that they believe they are victims of an extortion scheme by a senior New Rochelle official.
The alleged scheme involves an improper quid pro quo linking zoning changes sought for the campus to a $3.5 million purchase of the Carnegie Library on Main Street and a New York State proposal to house 550 immigrants at the site.
The complaint to the DOJ describes the extortion as a demand coupled with a threat.
The college entered into an agreement with Mercy College in 2019, allowing students in good standing to transfer to Mercy as the designated preferred institution and absorbing the bankrupt school’s records.
Mercy College departed the former College of New Rochelle campus in 2020.
The 15.6-acre campus was auctioned off as part of bankruptcy proceedings, with the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund winning the bid for $32 million, which was approved in bankruptcy court in November 2019.
The College of New Rochelle filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sept. 20, 2019, due to $80 million in liabilities following financial mismanagement that left the school more than $30 million in debt.
The former controller of the College of New Rochelle, Keith Borge, was sentenced to three years in prison on Aug. 28, 2019, after pleading guilty to securities fraud and failing to pay over more than $20 million in payroll taxes.
Borge pleaded guilty on March 28, 2019. 12
Borge’s misconduct resulted in his arrest, a guilty plea, and imprisonment.
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This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.