September 10, 2004: Volume 62, Number 1

"Wow" greets College Park Hall

The walk from College Park Hall to Reamer Campus Center is seven minutes. Exactly.

Just ask Gordy Single '07 or any of the other 229 students who moved into the College's newest residence hall at the former Ramada Inn.

During move-in over the weekend, the showcase  – complete with game rooms, café, fitness center and bathrooms galore – had more than a few envious parents recalling their own college accommodations. Words like "wow" were common over the weekend.

The seven-floor building, with stylish furnishings and matching paint and carpet schemes, was fully renovated after the College purchased the building and adjoining property for $15 million last fall. On Wednesday morning, workers were putting the final touches on building details. Meanwhile, installation of an artificial soccer field south of the building was nearly complete.

Some of the views from the building are stunning, to the northwest a sweeping vista down the Mohawk Valley, to the southeast a look at campus and the Nott Memorial. But most of the raves from students are about two things: climate control in each room and a bathroom in every room, 110 singles and 60 doubles.

Among the renovations were the replacement and reconstruction of the roof, repairing and repainting the building's exterior, new heating and air conditioning, increased fire protection, a security camera system, and a new entry. The College's Campus Safety Office is to move its office into the building shortly.

The project brings Union's investment in the College Park neighborhood west of campus to $26 million. In 1998, Union launched the Union-Schenectady Initiative, a redevelopment project that featured renovated student apartments and incentives to promote home ownership.

The renovation of the former American Locomotive property south of College Park Hall was made possible by a federal grant to support environmental remediation of the site, removing some petroleum residue and replacing it with 18 inches of new soil on which the field was built.

An open house of the new building and fields is planned for this fall.

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