Davis Hall’s days are numbered. In the most recent report on the university’s 10-year strategic plan, there is a line item on page 74 about Davis Hall, the first-year dormitory building, and its potential replacement. Rumors among students about Davis’ future have been circulating for weeks prior to the report’s release following hesitance on the initial placement of RAs in Davis. Though Residential and Dining Services has since placed RAs there, the current information suggests that an upcoming renovation is possible in the next few years. This has left many students wondering what will take the beloved dorm’s place.
According to the report, Davis is currently planned to be replaced by a “multipurpose building” which is currently in the “programming and schematic design phase.” Given the program spaces planned to be allocated to “dry research and teaching labs, classrooms, faculty offices and residential spaces,” this new building appears to be best described as a hybrid between the current residential towers and Babbio. The new residential spaces will allow for more students to live on campus alongside easy access to classrooms and faculty in the same building, a possibility that is appealing to many. One of the current plan’s objectives is to implement more environmentally friendly features in order to keep up with the sustainability goals of the university. The school is “[exploring] …geothermal heating and cooling, mass timber construction, solar panels and non-fossil fuel burning equipment.”
The student housing shortage is widely remarked upon in the student community as the university has increased incoming class sizes. Although only first-years are guaranteed housing, increasing numbers of students have found on-campus housing opportunities provided by the recently constructed South and Harries towers, which provide housing to upperclassmen, prioritizing second years. Other options are dorm-style living services like Hudson Dorms or independent apartments in Hoboken. It’s undeniable that space is a limited resource on campus, and the prospect of new opportunities for housing will likely be well received by the Stevens community.
Although, at this point, it is unlikely that Davis will be torn down in 2024, its demolition may consequently result in the reconfiguration of on-campus housing. Davis Hall currently holds 212 first-year students and the UCC towers are capable of holding 1,000 students at a time. If the admitted class size remains the same and guaranteed housing for first-years is maintained, alternatives will need to be found to accommodate these students. Since Stevens prioritizes first-year students for on-campus housing, it is possible that the displacement of upperclassmen could occur. Although second-year students are prioritized for the UCC Residential Towers, they are not guaranteed housing.
The plans described in the annual report are part of a 10-year plan for the University that started in 2022. Official notification of Davis’ demolition from administration and the Division and Facilities and Campus Operations is expected to be delivered far in advance of the actual date of construction, as they have done with past campus improvements. Regardless, the information from the annual report indicates that big changes are expected to arrive on campus by 2032.
This article was edited on 4/3/2024.
