Though Quinnipiac has recently completed the new Village IV housing project, the improvement and addition phase is not over yet. The university’s work on York Hill campus has begun, and the long standing plans to upgrade the cafeteria and widen Dorm Road are proceeding.
Site work and excavation has already begun on the York Hill campus, which is near the TD Banknorth Sports Center, according to Joe Rubertone, associate vice president for facilities.
“The footing has been laid down for the parking garage, Crescent dorm, and the student center,” Rubertone said.
The campus parking garage will have room for 2,000 cars. The new residence halls will house 2,048 students once they are completed. The residence halls include Crescent Dormitory, 14 Village style and six “pod” style, according to Keith Woodward, associate director of facilities. All the rooms will contain kitchens, according to Rubertone.
“The new campus is so housing can be guaranteed for all four years,” Rubertone said. “We want to bring seniors back to campus.”
According to Rubertone, the anticipated completion of the parking garage and student center is September 2009. Six hundred beds will also be available by then in the Crescent dorm. The rest of that dorm, as well as the other housing, have an expected completion date of 2010. Rubertone said that there are no plans right now for academic buildings.
In addition, plans to widen Dorm Road will begin once students leave in May. The project is a “realignment” of the road, as well as new landscaping around the dorms, something that has not been done since 1984, according to Rubertone. The widening begins at the Health and Wellness Center and extends to Mountainview.
“There is not enough room. The road is only 22 feet wide. It was paved in 1966 when there were two dorms, Irma and Dana. A lot more buildings have been added since then,” Rubertone said.
“It is hard for two-way traffic to get down the road especially if there are cars parked. After the widening, a shuttle and a car can get by on the road even if there are cars parked on the side.”
The construction is planned so that it will not hinder transportation or the students during the school year.
The obstructive part of construction will begin in May and be completed in three weeks. The “culverts,” which are approximately 20 feet by 5 feet boxes over a stream that allow the water to pass under and a road to be built over, near the Health and Wellness Center need to be updated, which will completely block vehicles from accessing Dorm Road, according to Rubertone.
“That is the only time Dorm Road will be inaccessible,” Rubertone said.
A traffic circle will be created near the Perlroth, Larson and Troup dorms. A Quinnipiac Bobcat statue, similar to the one at TD Banknorth Center, will be placed in the middle of the circle. Expected completion of this project is 2009. Rubertone said they are hoping to get to at least Perlroth by August 2008.
The cafeteria demolition and reconstruction is still slated to begin in May 2008. However, according to Rubertone, the original plan was reworked into a new “multiphase project” for completion in 2010. The former plan would not have fixed the seating problem which is what they are trying to do, Rubertone said.
“There is always construction in the works, but nothing will be planned until the new campus, Dorm Road and the cafeteria are finished which won’t be for a while,” Rubertone said. “There is an ’09, ’10 theme to all of these projects.”
