Orr: ‘We know the College is growing and we want to be a part of that’
Railey Realty and Garrett College are teaming up on another capital campaign initiative.
Railey – which recently completed a multi-year naming gift for a recital hall in the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College – has secured a naming opportunity on the 700 Building donor archway. The archway is to be constructed on the sidewalk leading into the 700 Building, which is being completely renovated to provide expanded space for the College’s growing intercollegiate athletics program.
“We feel it’s very important to support local education,” said Rich Orr, past managing member and consultant at Railey Realty. “We always look first at how we can assist the youth, whether it’s grade school, high school, or the college level.
“We know the College is growing and we want to be part of that,” added Orr.
College officials said they identified Railey Realty as a potential archway donor early in the Garrett College Foundation (GCF) Athletics Capital Campaign.
“Railey has been such a great partner and participant in funding worthy college initiatives,” said Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College’s president. “We wanted them to have a significant naming and we’re just so pleased that the Railey team felt the same way.”
Railey didn’t just secure the fourth and final naming on the high-visibility archway. Their gift also closed out the major naming opportunities of the capital campaign, which has raised over $900,000 on a $500,000 initial goal.
All 25 naming opportunities have been acquired by local businesses, families, and individuals, according to GCF Executive Director Cherie Krug.
“The outpouring of support for this campaign has been extraordinary,” said Krug.
The renovated 700 Building includes locker rooms for the four teams served by the adjacent turf field – baseball, women’s softball, women’s soccer, and men’s soccer – as well as new athletic training space, a wrestling room, a conference room, and coaches’ offices. While two minor phases of the renovation remain, the College has received its occupancy permit, and staff began moving into the facility during the last week of July.
The expansion of intercollegiate athletics has increased student athlete headcount from 70 in Fiscal Year 2022 to 175 in Fiscal Year 2026, sparking a 26.4 percent increase in credit students over the same time frame. The residence hall fill rate has grown from 45 percent to 98 percent during the same time period.
“We’ve been strategically growing student athlete headcount and the number of intercollegiate athletic teams to grow enrollment,” said Midcap. “That strategy has also helped improve student success metrics across the board.”
Garrett College had 37 student athletes earn NJCAA All-Academic team honors during the 2025-26 academic year. The Lakers averaged 5.3 All-Academic selections per team, which led the 23-college NJCAA Region 20.
“We supported this campaign in part because the College’s efforts to expand athletics is an important aspect of the College’s growth,” said Orr.
