Students hanging out around Kameron Pond at the start of the spring semester this January might have noticed that the Salameno Spiritual Center and its two half-moon-shaped buildings have been completely removed from campus.
Over Ramapo’s winter break, the demolition of the Spiritual Centers structures left a vacancy next to the Padovano Commons.
Back in December, President Cindy Jebb released a letter to the Ramapo College community about the planned rejuvenation, stating that safety issues, such as water infiltration and decay, had made the three structures unusable and unfixable.
“We are in the process of working with an architect to finalize the design of the rejuvenated outdoor spiritual center,” said Dr. Michael Yankovich, Vice President for Operational and Administrative Integration.
The new design will feature new pavers, walking paths, an open gazebo, outdoor seating and a renovated deck area overlooking the pond. Included in an additional document released by the College about the rejuvenation of the Center on Ramapo’s Capital Projects page were diagrams detailing the college’s proposed plans for the renovated Spiritual Center.
“Once the design is completed, we will need to advertise via public bid to select a construction contractor,” said Yankovich about the next steps. “We are hoping to get started with the next phase of rejuvenation in the Fall of 2025 with the goal of being completed sometime during the summer of 2026.”
The project is being funded by the College from their Capital Reserve account, according to Yankovich.
“We will honor the natural beauty along the edge of Kameron Pond, repurpose some components of the Center and Padovano Peace Pavilion, and better link the area to the nearby Padovano Commons,” President Jebb said in her letter to the Ramapo community.
With the planned renovation of Linden Hall due to a state grant — and the planned move of multiple offices and departments into the building to create a student oriented space — the college plans to expand the Spiritual Center into the nearby C or D wings of the academic building.
According to the additional document released by the College, the structures have not been used since 2016 and the College would rather dismantle the center than let it sit empty beside Kameron Pond.
“The College would like to … create a new environment that fulfills the Center’s original intent of meeting the spiritual needs of students and the campus community,” the document said.
The Spiritual Center was built in 2011 as a space for the Ramapo community to take a step back and reflect amidst the pressure and stress of college life. The Center also hosted religious services and spiritual gatherings.
“Maintaining spaces where all members of the College can find solace in nature and opportunities for reflection advances our mission,” said President Jebb in her letter.
As of right now, the indoor Spiritual Center is housed in H-201 and will remain there in the meantime.
“Our goal is for the outdoor spiritual center to be a comfortable, relaxing place for contemplation, reflection, and community,” said Yankovich. “We want to preserve the open views of Kameron Pond, and we want to highlight native flora with updated plantings.”
jhammer@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Jessica Hammer
