Marist College Plans Expansion Of James J. McCann Center

The James J. McCann Recreation Center at Marist College will be making some major upgrades after receiving a $2 million grant.

According to a press release on the Marist website, the James J. McCann Charitable Trust made the donation which will replace and expand the secondary gym and fitness center. The gym was installed during an expansion project in 1997. The building itself was built after a donation from the McCann trust in 1977. Construction on the facility is expected to begin in June of 2018.

The trust has allowed many Hudson Valley kids to attend the highly thought of local college. It funds McCann Scholarships in addition to fellowships and summer study programs. Additional funds have gone towards the Lowell Thomas improvements, athletic fields, library upgrades and infrastructure improvements.

But who is James T. McCann? He was a Poughkeepsie resident born in 1880. He owned a business on Main Street and became involved in investing on the stock market. He was able to build a sizeable fortune that is still benefiting the community today. McCann passed away in 1969 at the age of 89.