Holy Cross High School in Flushing celebrated its brand new Arts, Technology and Athletics Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted at the school on Francis Lewis Boulevard on Oct. 23. The building, which is near completion, includes classrooms for specialized programs in performing arts, athletics, robotics, fine arts and esports.
The multipurpose center, which is an 11,000-square-foot, 2-story facility with a living green roof, stands as the first expansion to the campus since it opened in 1955.
“We gather here tonight on this plaza, both literally and symbolically,” said Mark Mongelluzzo, president of the school and 1992 alumnus, during the ceremony. “This concrete platform connects our past and our future.”
The evening commenced with a brief reception as over 100 guests, which included alumni from a range of former class years, gathered in the cafeteria to reconnect with old classmates and explore other changes made to the building since they graduated. At 6 p.m., they made their way outside to the small plaza that lies between the two buildings for drinks and food catered by Corato, an Italian pizzeria and restaurant in Ridgewood.
Around 6:30 p.m., John Gerspach, chair of the school’s board of directors and 1971 alumnus, opened the ceremony by thanking those who helped turn the project’s idea into reality, including Daniella Cippitelli, the school’s director of communications and alumni relations; Bartholomew Johnson, director of giving; the Board of Directors; and Mongelluzzo.
While Gerspach noted some of the difficulties faced by Mongelluzzo and the team as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, such as fundraising struggles and increased construction costs, Gerspach praised Mongelluzzo’s leadership and ability to adapt to the changing times.
“Rather than despair, Mark set out to completely reimagine what was possible,” Gerspach said. “And, more importantly, what could best serve the evolving needs of our student population. The result of Mark’s vision and perseverance through adversity is what you see before us this evening.”
According to Mongelluzzo, who was named president in July 2022, ideas for the project began during the school’s Cross Currents fundraising campaign in 2019 and entered the planning phase in late 2022. While the structure was initially planned to be much larger, they ran into significant roadblocks during and after the pandemic.
But, he said the leadership of his predecessor, former president Mike Truesdell, and the multi-million dollar donations from the Nonna’s Garden Foundation, the late George Zarnitz estate and countless others paved the way for the building to be built, even if it is in a smaller capacity.
“We needed a building that allowed us to look to the future that allowed us to expand our curriculum to educate the workers of tomorrow in robotics, computer science, engineering and business,” Mongelluzzo said. “We needed a building that cultivated the arts in a way we had not done before.”
Mongelluzzo said he hopes the new building provides students and the school with more opportunities to better present themselves to prospective colleges and universities. With modern technology, expanded resources and increased space to gather the school community together for classes, performances and demonstrations, he said the new building stands as a symbol of hope for the class of 2029 and beyond.
As of now, Mongelluzzo said the center is scheduled to open at the beginning of the spring semester in early 2026.
“What we find here at Holy Cross is a dedication to making sure that the next generation is open to the imagination that Christ is involved in everything that happens — not just in our religion classes or our liturgies, but in our math and our science and our social studies classes, in our gym and lunchroom, and now in this new room here,” said Deacon Kevin McCormack, superintendent of Catholic school support services in the Diocese of Brooklyn. “Holy Cross, with its leadership standing on the shoulders of the people who went before them, remember very well what the Blessed Basil said: ‘Education is the art of helping young people to completeness.’ This new building will do that.”
