2008 Woodie Awards
Dorm takes on new form
Alex Koldeway
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: News
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The new five-story building should be completed in time for the start of the 2010 fall semester. It will feature suite-style living units with single-occupancy bedrooms and a total capacity of 446 students. It will be located at the southeast corner of Prince Street and Starin Road.
Each unit will have four bedrooms, a kitchenette, a living room and modular bathroom facilities. There will be separate areas for the shower, toilet and two sinks so they can all be used simultaneously. All the units will be air conditioned.
Jeff Janz, director of Residence Life, said the new building was designed to have a high degree of accessibility for disabled students, with 10 suites equipped with larger-than-normal bedrooms.
"For the first time, people in wheelchairs will be able to have roommates," he said.
Janz said the building will cost $35.7 million and will be paid for with increased student room rates.
"Students will pay more to live in the suites," he said.
The building is the first step in a 12-15 year master plan that will see the remodeling of one residence hall every year starting in 2010.
Janz said the new building will be environmentally sound and should receive a Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
As part of the project, three additional parking lots will be built. They will be located near Drumlin Hall, Carlson Hall and north of the west residence halls.
Marketing Professor Lois Smith said the new residence hall will be a beautiful building that won't take existing green space, but she is concerned about the parking lot that will be built near Carlson Hall.
"It's a beautiful wooded area," she said. "Basically all of it will be taken out for a parking lot, and that bothers me."
Smith said looking out of her office window at the trees is a pleasure, and she would be willing to park further away to save them.
Randy Marnocha, vice chancellor of administrative affairs, said the campus grounds crew will do a good job of keeping the area attractive.
"They'll transplant as many [trees] as possible," he said. "They promised it will look even better after the parking lots are put in." Marnocha said the trees that are the right size and are healthy will be moved to different areas.
Freshman Vincent Belmont said he liked the idea of the new suites, but he would prefer to live off campus when he is an upperclassman. He said one of the benefits of the new building will be the bathrooms that allow some privacy.
"People don't respect communal bathrooms," he said.
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