Fredonia held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for its new University Village townhouses, a seven-building residential complex located on the northwest end of campus along Ring Road. The new complex features a variety of one-, two- and three-story units that offer juniors, seniors and graduate students the option of apartment-style living with all of the comforts of a fully-furnished residence coupled with the safety and convenience features of on-campus living.
Each of the 49 units features single-occupancy bedrooms for four, a kitchen/dining area (including a brand new stove, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher), a living area, and two bathrooms. Each also offers wireless Internet, heating/air conditioning and a washer and dryer. In total, University Village offers up to 196 individual bedrooms. Safety and security features include smoke, fire alarm and sprinkler systems, and a variety of compliancy features for those with disabilities such as strobe light indicators for fire alarms and doorbells, as well as wheelchair accessibility throughout all of the 24 one-story units. Each bedroom is individually keyed, and security cameras are located throughout the four acres on which the new structures have been built.
“We’ve long talked about the joy and education that students can get from independent living as part of their college experience, in the convenience and the safety of university housing,” said Fredonia President Virginia S. Horvath. “Everything we do at Fredonia is centered on our baccalaureate goals. We try to keep that at the center of the design of buildings and spaces (like this), because everything needs to promote that learning.”
Vice President for Student Affairs David Herman thanked the campus personnel, architects and construction workers for all of the work they did in creating the new residential community.
“Today is indeed a time to celebrate and to say thank you to so many who were involved in this project from the outset,” Dr. Herman said. “We started planning this a long time ago, when we were maxed out on enrollment and had many students coming from other countries. We hope this will help us get back to those levels.”
Dr. Herman added that he was pleased to see the apartments already half filled, even though they weren’t yet finished by the end of the spring semester, which meant that students couldn’t fully visualize their potential living quarters during tours. However, as word spreads about their quality and benefits, he believes they will be in high demand. The price for a University Village room is $4,500 per semester — just $200 more than the rate of a standard single room elsewhere on campus.
The $30 million project resulted in more than 130 construction jobs at any one point performed by firms located throughout western New York State and northwestern Pennsylvania. The buildings were designed by Chaintreuil Jensen Stark Architects of Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., while the general contractors were Burgio and Campofelice of Cheektowaga.
“Through and through, this is a Western New York project,” New York State Assemblyman Andy Goodell (150th District) said. “Our architects are from Western New York, our tradesmen are from Western New York, and the brains that made it a reality are all from Western New York.”
“Fredonia is on the move, and this is just the latest effort of Fredonia’s continuing effort to be one of the top colleges in the nation, in terms of student quality, outcomes, rankings and value,” Assemblyman Goodell added. “Everyone who looks at Fredonia goes away impressed with not only where Fredonia is now, but its progress and where it is heading in the future.”
Lisa Vanstrom represented New York State Senator Cathy Young (57th District). She read a letter from Senator Young congratulating the campus on its dedication to continuous improvement, the added jobs created from both the construction and operational perspectives, and the increased sustainable living choices for its students.
Among the many sustainable elements incorporated in the complex include Park-and-Ride shuttle service which will reduce the numbers of students driving on campus. A storm water retention pond and three bio-retention areas which meet the standards of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also contribute to the “greenness” of the project, for which the campus is pursuing LEED Gold Certification.
“I commend Fredonia today on the commitment to a LEED Gold Certification that they are striving to with this project,” added Paul Koopman, senior director of Public Construction with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. “It’s not easily accomplished, and without the commitment of the people in Facilities, as well as Residence Life, it doesn’t happen.”
College Council Chair Frank Pagano spoke of how well known Fredonia is within the SUNY System for being one of the most beautiful campuses, and how the new Townhouse Village and its community feeling would only add to that perception. “This is more than just housing,” said Chair Pagano. “It’s a home for the students that are going to be here now.”
“These townhouses are a testament to Fredonia’s vision of being a residential institution that is, above all, a community of learners,” added Student Association President Antonio Regulier. “During my four years here, Fredonia has changed significantly. Thank you for making the needs of our students a priority. Thank you for believing in our campus and upholding the values in our mission statement. Fredonia has a way of making you feel responsible, even when you don’t realize it. As Fredonians, we are obligated to accept challenges and make changes. And today…we’ve done just that.”
Craig Jensen, a partner with Chaintreuil Jensen Stark Architects, shared an inspiring quote from well-known planner and architect Clarence Stein. “He said, ‘The home itself is of minor importance. It is its relationship to the community that really counts,’” Mr. Jensen said. “I think the community was really the guiding principle for this design project, not to make it just about the apartments, but…to create a community where these students could be comfortable, and build relationships where they could live on their own.”
President Horvath closed by explaining the inspiration behind the names of the buildings and walkways throughout University Village. “It was a very deliberate decision to have this complex reflect the fact that Fredonia is situated within and proud of this region,” she said, “so you will see names of places and counties here in Western New York, as a way of celebrating who we are.”
