Sitting atop Castle Point Terrace and overlooking New York City are the two towers that will soon become the Student Housing and University Center at Stevens, a place with numerous facilities, offices, and dorms for students. Construction progress has been seen rapidly over the past few months, which led many members of the Stevens community to question the fast-moving construction and future plans for the campus landmark.
The ultimate goal of the University Towers is to allow more students to live on campus, with Stevens estimating the buildings to easily double the campus’ living capacity and create many new amenities for the community. Private dining, fitness facilities, and high-tech conference rooms are among the most notable features advertised by Stevens administration.
As expected, the logistics and thought that goes into such an ambitious project are complex, and the challenges contributed by the pandemic only breed more obstacles. However, these factors have not hindered the construction team from working strategically to meet deadlines.
The employed construction management firm for the project is AECOM Tishman. In an email to The Stute, Robert Maffia, Vice President for Facilities and Campus Operations, explained that the firm has “met all of the construction milestones,” which include “the excavation and foundation work, the topping out of of the superstructure, and the enclosure of the exterior of the building with glass curtainwall.”
Maffia also praised the world-class construction firm for bringing “a lot of efficiency and knowledge to the construction process,” and stated that the project as a whole “is on target to be completed spring 2022, as scheduled.” The original projected deadline was August 2021, as noted in a past article in The Stute; however, that deadline was pushed to Spring 2022. Looking at the progress of the towers on campus, it seems like the Spring 2022 deadline is here to stay.
When asked if the construction progression was impacted by the less-populated campus, Maffia stated that the development plan “was developed with the assumption of a full campus” and was “not impacted in any major way by having fewer individuals on campus.”
With regard to the floor plan of the dorms within the new University Center, residents will experience a similar feel to the already-populated River Terrace Suites. There will be both single and double units to choose from, as well as suites that can accommodate up to four residents. Furthermore, Maffia explained that there will be a shared common area and kitchenette included in each unit and an additional one to two bathrooms.
Another question many students are asking is who will have the opportunity to reside in the newly-constructed dorms. According to Marybeth Murphy, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, administration is “still in the process of developing plans for the occupancy of the residential towers and will share that information in the next few weeks.”
There is still more to learn about the many services and living opportunities that the new campus hub will offer to the Stevens community. In a way, the University Center is more than just a place to eventually live in and gather to interact with others — it serves as a silver lining during an uncertain time.
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