Saint Peter’s University today announced that Thomas P. Mac Mahon ’68, member of the Saint Peter’s University Board of Trustees and retired chairman and chief executive officer of LabCorp, has committed a $5 million lead gift to launch the phased renovation of The Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center (RLC).
The renovation will ultimately transform the historic and fundamentally vital facility while enhancing the experience for current and future students, the University’s Division I student-athletes, alumni, members of the local community, Peacock fans and more. When complete, the project, which will be funded by restricted gifts, will have a profound impact on recruitment, community engagement, support for athletics and institutional pride.
Mac Mahon’s gift will specifically help to support the first phase of the renovation, which includes the creation of a modern basketball/volleyball arena. The arena will feature a number of amenities for students and guests, including new retractable bleachers with an allotment of chairback seating, a full replacement of the hardwood court surface, updated branding and signage, a reimagined entryway to the facility, enhanced lighting and new video scoreboards. The gift will also support the creation of a Hall of Fame to celebrate the legacy of Peacock athletics, which will be enhanced in phases over the course of the project. Construction is slated to begin this summer.
In celebration of the proud legacy of Peacock basketball, Mac Mahon has made the decision to honor his former 1967-68 men’s basketball teammates and name the transformed space the “Run Baby Run Arena.”
Mac Mahon presided as chair of the Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2018, which proved to be a time of unprecedented growth at the University under his leadership. Beyond his Saint Peter’s affiliations, Mac Mahon has been cited by Forbes magazine (2004) and the Harvard Business Review (2010) as one of the best performing CEOs in the world. He was LabCorp's chairman and chief executive officer from 1997 to 2006 and a director from 1996 to 2013.
The long-term master plan for the RLC will dramatically upgrade nearly every facet of the facility. Short-term priorities beyond the arena project include the swimming pool, locker rooms and more. Subsequent phases will be announced as additional funding is secured. The University is currently ushering in an era of campus revitalization with this project as well as a number of others including the construction of a new residence hall, physical and technological enhancements to the Frank J. Guarini School of Business and the addition of a Digital Research Commons in the Theresa and Edward O’Toole Library.
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