For Immediate Release:
Contact: Celia Solomita / (845) 507-4070 / csolomita@campventure.org
Camp Venture and St. Thomas Aquinas College Agree on Sale/Leaseback of the Venture Center on Rte 340 in Sparkill
Orangetown, N.Y. (March 19, 2021) – Camp Venture and St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) have reached a contractual agreement to sell the Venture Center at 230 Rte. 340 in Sparkill, NY. The sale closed on March 19, 2021.
The Venture Center was formerly the Rosary Academy High School for Girls. Currently, the Venture Center houses the Venture Center Day Habilitation Programs, which offer various opportunities and family-like care for people of all ages with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Camp Venture services all five towns in Rockland County, and has provided assistance to more than 2,000 youth and adults since operations began there.
As part of the sale agreement, Camp Venture will continue its operations on site, for up to 7 years, under a lease with STAC. According to Camp Venture’s CEO, Matthew Shelley, “We appreciate the opportunity to continue to utilize this space and build upon our long friendship with STAC. Camp Venture plans to maintain our day programs, staffing and other operations at the site, during the multi-year period, leasing all necessary space from STAC. During this leasing period, we will evaluate other sites across Rockland County to which we can relocate our beloved programs into more modern space, and become better integrated in the community”.
STAC will ultimately use the site in an effort to expand services for the growing need of this four-year college located on lands adjacent to and across the street from the Venture Center.
Orangetown Supervisor, Teresa Kenny heralded the news of the transaction and said, ” From its days as Rosary Academy High School which was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill to its present use as the Venture Center for Day Habilitation to its future use by St. Thomas Aquinas College, this property has been an asset to those it has served, and has been a good neighbor to the citizens of Orangetown.”
STAC President, Ken Daly said, “The addition of this property to the STAC Campus will allow us to continue our laser-focus on the future of the College by providing students with an investment in growth and opportunity on-campus. This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to afford our students, faculty and staff with a wonderful STAC experience.”
