Villanova University cut the ribbon Monday, Oct. 19, on Vic Maggitti Hall, a $130 million, 150,000-square-foot building that replaces the old Falvey Memorial Library as the university's academic hub.

University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue and Falvey Library Dean Millicent Gaskell led the ceremony on the Villanova campus, first reported by The Villanovan. The four-story facility brings library collections and academic support services under one roof after breaking ground in summer 2024.

"I've never built a new library before, so this was really pretty special," Gaskell said at the ribbon-cutting. "I love the spaces for the students."

Gaskell, who joined Villanova in 2015 after a decade at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the building offers different kinds of study and seating spaces. She credited Donohue with pushing for a space that would be "very light, bright and welcoming."

The old library had four group study rooms. Vic Maggitti Hall has 59.

Three above-ground floors feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the main campus. A top-floor outdoor terrace will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and a Holy Grounds coffee shop and dining area sit on the main floor.

The building houses the university's entire book collection on a single basement level using compact shelving. Oversized volumes remain in a reading room on the main floor.

Moving the collection took a crew of two to three dozen specialized movers working over two weeks that wrapped up during fall break. Gaskell said the move took a full year to plan.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects designed the building, and Turner Construction built it, according to a Villanova press release. More than 400 students, faculty and staff participated in listening sessions that shaped the layout.

The hall is named for Victor J. Maggitti Jr., a 1956 Villanova School of Business graduate who gave $20 million toward the project. Maggitti is the founder and president of Vimco Inc., a construction supplies company. He has also supported Villanova's athletics facilities and the Mullen Center for the Performing Arts.

Donohue, in a university statement, called the opening a major milestone and an investment in future generations of students.

The formal Grand Opening and Dedication is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, at 2:30 p.m. The ceremony will include a blessing and is open to all students, faculty and staff. It coincides with Homecoming Weekend, which runs Oct. 23 through Oct. 25.