The City announced on Friday that it will add more than a thousand new public school seats in the borough at the former St. John Villa Academy Campus.

The private elementary and high school was closed at the end of the 2017-2018 school year by the Sisters of John the Baptist due to declining enrollment and growing expenses.

The city is now acquring the seven acre property, using funds in current capital plan, which has earmarked $4.8 billion to add seats in overcrowded areas.

The Department of Education and School Construction Authority is working on plans to convert it into a state of the art facility in the coming years. 

Mayor Bill DeBlasio, Borough President James Oddo, and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza attended the press conference announcement. 

“This is a deeply bittersweet moment because the pain of the St. John Villa family is still palpable, and it will be that way for a long time. I recognize that,” said Borough President Oddo. “The closure of this school will never sit well with some, and I very much understand those deep emotions. As the person responsible to represent the 500,000 people of this borough, I knew what would be even worse than St. John Villa closing would be St. John Villa closing and this bastion of education reduced into an unwanted residential development. We have seen that regrettable scenario play out nearby in recent years. I am pleased the City has stepped up in a big way to acquire this precious space. I will do all I can to ensure the learning that takes place here in the future lives up to the rich tradition of educational excellence of St. John Villa.”

The mayor added, "You can't be a fair city when you get condos instead of schools. that's the bottom line. this place is perfect for education. it should be a place to educate future generations!"

The city's signed contract to buy the property is pending final statutory approval.

The education department will begin community input meetings over the next several months.