USF Buys Building, Turns It Into Student Housing

The 56,000-square-foot building stands between two USF-occupied properties: the Masonic Building at 281 Masonic and the School of Education building at 2350 Turk.

The property, now called Nano Nagle Hall and named for the founder of the Sisters of the Presentation, houses 40 graduate students in single-occupancy rooms, said Shannon Gary, vice president for student life. It also includes a chapel and a dining room that will be used as event space for university gatherings, conferences, and academic programs.

The university purchased the property for $10 million and funded the cost through the sale of smaller USF-owned buildings being held for student housing development, Gary said. The funds for the purchase did not come from the USF operating budget and will not affect tuition costs. Revenue generated from the use of the property is anticipated to cover operating costs, and any surplus will contribute to USF’s budget.

The Sisters of the Presentation, a Catholic order founded by Honora 'Nano' Nagle in Ireland in 1775, “are friends of the university who share our mission of education, service, and social justice in San Francisco,” said Eileen Fung, provost and vice president of academic affairs.

USF leadership and academic deans supported the purchase, and it was unanimously approved by the executive committee of the USF board of trustees, Fung said. “This is an investment in USF’s future."