Announced at the beginning of February through an email, the on-campus apartment-style residence, The Village, will be closing Quad 2 and parts of Quad 3 for renovations during the Fall 2024 semester. With an already stressful process of choosing where to live, closing the quads will only make that process harder for students.
The closure of the quads will go into effect over the summer and will continue through the fall semester. It will hopefully be completed before the Spring 2025 semester. Hopes are high for the renovations with the goal of bringing the students a more improved space that looks appealing and maintains safety measures.
According to Residence Life’s website, Quads 2 and 3 are closing due to a capital planning project that is scheduled for the entirety of Quad 2 and Buildings 20 and 21 in Quad 3, where the stairwells will be renovated.
Vice President for Operational and Administrative Integration Michael Yankovich said that the renovation was a long-term plan and that the stairs were in need of a change. He stated there is nothing wrong with the stairs, but they are in need of a fresh coat of paint and restructuring.
Since it was built, the Village has not been touched or renovated, and now is the time to change things up a bit and make the stairs, and the Village overall, more attractive to students and families. The plan has been in the works for a while, but now that the funding has been secured, the project can get underway.
“Structurally, the stairs are fine. There are no safety issues or concerns,” Yankovich said. “They are simply being replaced for aesthetics.”
Yankovich states that they received the funding last summer to do all 22 sets of stairs but were only able to complete eight sets without disrupting students during the semester. With Quad 1 partially completed, it leaves Quad 2 and 3 to complete.
Construction on the Village is projected to start the week after graduation starting with the rest of Quad 3 and the completion of Quad 1. Some work, however, will be pushed until the fall.
In addition to the stairs, Yankovich says that the Village will also be getting a few technical updates to increase safety. These projects include building new walkways, redoing the paving throughout, installing new lights in the hallways and updating the security cameras.
With the stairs already being under construction, Yankovich saw this time as an opportunity to add other improvements for the students and the community. Residence Life also plans to possibly redo the kitchens and common area furniture, if they receive the necessary funding, to make the spaces more comfortable for students.
“We look to do what we can, when we can, and this project was one of those things,” Yankovich said.
With Quad 2 offline for the semester, Director of Residence Life Lisa Gonsisko said that students planning to live in the Village will all receive an equal opportunity to claim it in the housing process as usual, but there just will be a smaller pool to select from. Those who want the Village but are unable to get it will be given the opportunity to live in the College Park Apartments (CPAs) on the other side of campus. All students are guaranteed housing and will receive a housing assignment that fits their accommodation.
“Students will be going through the same process that they have in years past, and their housing assignment will be based on what is available at the time,” Gonsisko said. “The Village Quads 1 and 3 will still be available as well as the CPAs, Overlook and Laurel Hall, and students will be placed in a different assortment of housing just like any other year.”
The Village is the only residence buildings receiving renovations at the moment, but construction onto other buildings may come in the future. Nothing is in the works quite yet, however.
“We are really excited to see the final project and see the area get the upgrade it needed,” Gonsisko said. “With being created in 2003, the building started to look a little dated, and by getting this renovation, it will make it more appealing to students who are living there.”
For more information in regards to the housing process, check out Residence Life’s website.
rbleich@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Jenna Barnes
