A change to the Hoboken skyline is on the horizon. On June 9, the Hoboken Planning Board reviewed and approved plans for the demolition of Davis Hall. While the upcoming change to campus has been waiting in the wings for about two years, this approval brings the long-planned project a step closer to becoming reality.
Plans to replace Davis Hall were first revealed in 2024, with the new building designed by Davis Brody Bond, an architectural firm headquartered in New York City. The 238,000-square-foot building will combine academic, research, and residential spaces. The first three floors will house offices, classrooms, and teaching laboratories. Floors four through six will have dry laboratories, research rooms, additional offices, and study spaces. Floors seven through thirteen will serve as student housing, holding 457 beds. This will give Stevens a net increase of 245 beds. Current plans also include a green roof deck along Wittpenn Walk and a solar canopy atop the building.
Davis currently serves as a residence hall, but the new building’s plans expand how the area will be used. Alongside increasing student housing capacity, the addition of teaching and research spaces will make the site both an academic and residential area of campus.
The project was made possible in part by a change in Hoboken zoning regulations adopted back in 2018. The rezoning has already played a role in changing the skyline, allowing for the construction of the UCC Towers, which opened to students back in 2022. The Edge Sub-Area, tracing from Howe Center to Fifth Street along the edge of Sinatra Drive, was made to accommodate the construction of buildings up to 160 feet in height, with the exception of the taller UCC towers. The new Davis Hall replacement will continue the transformation of this zone, making for another substantial addition to campus.
While an exact date for the demolition of Davis Hall hasn’t been announced as of yet, The Stute previously reported that Stevens intends to complete the replacement of Davis by 2032. Until a construction timeline is officially given, it remains unclear when students can expect to see Davis Hall come down.
