Father David Ruchinski isn’t sad to see the Catholic Gators home of 60 years torn down.
Instead, Ruchinski knows the new facilities will be even better for their attendance of thousands.
The “Hurley House,” which was named after Archbishop Joseph Hurley, was used for college members in Catholic Gators at St. Augustine Church to congregate for 60 years. Last week, it was torn down. The lot of the old building, along West University Avenue, will be used for reconstruction along with another new facility and parking lot across the street, said Casey Krahmer, a Catholic Gators member and 19-year-old UF health science sophomore.
Standing at six stories tall and about 10,000 square feet, the new house will be almost 50 percent larger, said Father David Ruchinski, the pastor and director of St. Augustine Church and Catholic Gators. The new land is located directly behind St. Augustine, at 1738 W. University Ave.
New features of the home will include a parking garage, a meeting space, an outdoor picnic area and a chapel accessible to all students 24/7, Ruchinski said. The construction has already started.
The church’s land has been near campus since the 1920s. This is the second time the land will be redeveloped in almost 100 years, according to the Catholic Gators website. In 1959, the complex was reconstructed into what was the recently demolished house. Surrounding land was bought last year to accommodate the larger house, Krahmer said. Plans for construction have been in the works for about 10 years.
Members are hosting events in a temporary house at 2222 W. University Ave.
Krahmer said she was excited for the amenities in the new house.
“It seems promising,” Krahmer said.
The home is being developed by Roger Development Group, Ruchinski said.
The new facility will help accommodate the growing population of Catholic Gators’ members on campus, Ruchinski said.
“It’s a positive sign for the future direction of this campus ministry program,” Ruchinski said.
Contact Dana Cassidy at dcassidy@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @danacassidy_
Catholic Gators’ building behind Midtown on Northwest First Avenue was demolished last week. The organization plans to build a new house in a different location.
