Brooklyn Friends School (BFS), a 156-year-old school run by Quakers, is set to expand its Downtown Brooklyn campus following the purchase of a five-story building next door to its Pearl Street base.
The school’s board of trustees on Monday announced the acquisition 383-393 Pearl Street, the former site of ASA College’s Downtown campus which closed last February after the Middle States Commission on Higher Education withdrew its accreditation of the private college due to shortcomings in meeting the commission’s standards.
The purchase of the building on the corner of Pearl Street and Willoughby Street is part of BFS‘s strategic vision to expand its footprint in the borough by consolidating its operations onto a single campus, according to the trustees.
“This historic step marks a significant milestone in the history of Brooklyn Friends School,” said Crissy Cáceres, head of BFS. “It represents a transformative investment in furthering an environment for our brilliant and compassionate students to shape the future with limitless possibilities in alignment with our mission.”
The religious sect founded the school on Schermerhorn Street back in 1867, with just 17 students in its first class. Today, the school has its main campus on Pearl Street with a student body of 700 from prekindergarten to 12th grade.
The founder and long-time president of ASA College, Alex Shchegol, reportedly sold the Pearl Street building to BFS for $19.3 million, according to Crain’s New York Business.
