University of New Haven Set to Break Ground on New Donor-Funded On-Campus Home for Pompea College of Business
Martin Family Hall, a pioneering four-story, 50,000-square-foot-facility will be located at the southeast entrance at the corner Campbell Avenue and Ruden Street, creating a new gateway for the university.
September 17, 2026
Rendering of the new building, looking Southeast (from approximately the corner of Ruden Street and the campus entrance near Soundview Hall/Peterson Library).
This state-of-the-art four-story, 50,000-square-foot facility will be constructed
at the southeast entrance to the university’s main campus at the corner of Campbell
Avenue and Ruden Street, a major campus crossroads, creating a new gateway and highly
visible “front door” for the university.
This building is being funded entirely through donor philanthropy, including principal
gifts from longtime benefactors Dennis Martin '81 ’05 Hon., and his wife Barbara,
along with Charles Pompea '71, '90 EMBA, '06 Hon. and his wife, Tamera, who have contributed
transformational donations totaling more than $25 million.
In honor of the Martins’ generosity, the building will be named Martin Family Hall, home of the Pompea College of Business, celebrating Dennis’ and his family’s dedication to supporting the university’s commitment
to inspiring bold ideas, meaningful careers, and better-than-ready graduates.
The Martins recently committed a $5 million challenge gift to inspire additional support
for the University. Their commitment will be fulfilled once fellow donors collectively
match the $5 million gift. The University is nearing that goal.
The Pompea family has long been among the University’s most dedicated philanthropic
partners and is the namesake of the Pompea College of Business. A former chair of
the University’s Board of Governors, Charles Pompea continues to serve as a member
of the Board.
Rendering of the new building, as seen looking West up Ruden Street (from approximately the corner of Ruden and Campbell Ave.).
“This pioneering facility is both an investment in the future of business education
and a powerful testament to our donors’ strong belief in the university, our vision,
and our students’ unlimited potential,” said Jens Frederiksen, president of the University of New Haven. “We are charting the future of business
education. This new facility will be a dynamic hub for innovation and experiential
learning, delivering an unparallelled return on investment for our students and preparing
them to excel as leaders in a rapidly evolving global economy.”
The new building will feature world-class learning environments where classroom knowledge
is transformed into professional practice, including:
“These transformational spaces reflect our belief that the best way to prepare students
for extraordinary careers is through meaningful, real-world experience,” said Pompea
College of Business Dean Brian Kench. “By combining cutting-edge technology with experiential learning, we will continue
to position our graduates to excel as well as advance our exceptional post-graduation
outcome rates.”
The architect of the building is from St. Louis, MO, and the contractor is , a leading company that has worked on projects from Maine to the Caribbean.
Consigli reports that the project is creating 35 jobs, including 25 that will be filled
by residents of West Haven.