The University of New Haven has acquired the building that once held Railroad Salvage for $18.5 million. Plans are to turn the 130,000-square-foot property and the surrounding 12 acres of land on Campbell Avenue into a research and development center.
The university announced its acquisition in December. The priorities for the center are in “promoting readiness” for the biomedical and defense fields, according to the New Haven Register.
“Our new Research and Development Center will serve as a focal point for private industries to engage the university on an entirely new level,” said university President Jens Frederiksen.
The center will be housed in the existing building and no demolition will be required, said Frederiksen, similar to acquisitions by colleges such as Sacred Heart University and Albertus Magnus College.
In 2019, Albertus Magnus bought three buildings in New Haven for $5 million with the plan to use them for “student housing, offices and meeting space,” according to the New Haven Register. More recently in 2024, Sacred Heart University (SHU) and the Diocese of Bridgeport purchased Notre Dame Catholic High School for $15 million. According to the SHU News Room, this purchase is more of a partnership, but will result in renovations for the next two years.
Some university students are excited about the research center, but some have other opinions. Kylie O’Neil, a senior communication student, suggested the building be used for housing.
“I heard there’s that problem next year where they don’t have enough room for incoming students, so they’re having them put in upperclassmen dorms,” O’Neil said. She also said she hopes that the purchase will clarify any confusion with parking at Railroad Salvage.
“I’ve heard so many stories about students parking there and it not being a problem and I’ve heard of other students being ticketed,” said O’Neil. “Maybe they could use this opportunity to make the parking situation at the university better.”
Mikaela Motz, a sophomore communication student, said she felt the same about parking and housing. She said she’d prefer “either a parking garage because of the limited spaces that we have on campus for students or some sort of housing complex for upperclassmen because of the recent changes being made.”
Other students said they liked the research and development center idea, and some added suggestions for expanded use.
Olivia Pfeiffer, a junior criminal justice major, said she’s on board with the research center “as long as they follow through and make it worth the money.” Pfeiffer said her only concern was with how much the acquisition costs.
“I’d hope most students want to know what they’re spending money on considering how expensive this school is,” she said.
Michael Durso, a sophomore paramedicine student, said he likes the research center but had other suggestions as well.
“If it was to be something different, I would like to see an upgrade to the health science building on Care Lane,” said Durso. “It would be ideal to see adjustments for the number of students and the available space for learning and parking.”
Similarly, junior business management student Megan Hart said that Railroad Salvage could be “successful” if turned into a research center with “more group study rooms as well as common areas and classrooms.” Hart also had ideas for other uses of the building.
“An alternative to a research center would be transferring the business school from Orange Campus,” Hart said. “I would love to see it all in one area so I could focus more on my studies rather than rushing to and from each campus for my next class.”
President Jens Frederiksen sent out an email to the members of the university community on March 5 about that exact issue. “I am excited to share that the University plans to construct a new philanthropically funded building for the Pompea College of Business on our main campus in West Haven,” he said.
While students have different opinions on the research center, Frederiksen called the purchase a “significant step” for the university. A university spokesperson said that it “will serve more than 9,200 students and offer 150 undergraduate and graduate programs” when it opens, according to Fox61.
