Big plans are in store for the lower campus site.
Newly unveiled plans have drawn back the curtain on the design of the 13-story multipurpose building slated to replace Davis Hall in the next few years. The renderings, which were prepared for a Stevens presentation for the Hoboken Planning Board last Tuesday, show a modern structure towering over the academic green and surrounding buildings.
It has been known for months that the aging Davis Hall — a first-year dormitory completed in the 1960s — has been slated for replacement by a large, mixed-use center in the style of the University Center Complex (UCC). The plans presented at the Planning Board’s Subdivision and Site Plan meeting detail how the new space will be allocated among offices, residences, classrooms, and laboratories.
The Stute spoke with Vice President for Facilities and Campus Operations Robert Maffia to learn more about the project.
Designed by the New York architectural firm Davis Brody Bond, the new building will add 238,000 square feet of space in a prime campus location directly between the UCC and academic buildings like the Babbio Center and the Morton-Peirce-Kidde Complex. Stevens emphasized the building’s environmental features to the Planning Board, highlighting a “green roof deck space” along Wittpenn Walk and vegetation designed to manage stormwater runoff.
The building will include 457 beds of on-campus student housing or a net increase of 245 beds. Alleviating the on-campus housing shortage has been a priority of recent Stevens campus infrastructure upgrades, according to Maffia. “Davis Hall hits full capacity each year and we are always seeking ways to use our campus footprint more efficiently to provide our community with the academic and student life resources needed to thrive.”
But, unlike the 1,000-bed UCC, the Davis Hall replacement will also consist of significant new classroom and laboratory space, which have also been in short supply as the student population has boomed. A lower level and the first three levels of the building will be dedicated to labs, classrooms, and offices.
“The Davis location was selected for its proximity to the other south campus academic buildings, making for a short walk between classes,” said Maffia regarding the decision to make Davis Hall’s replacement mixed-use. “After considering alternatives, a mixed-use facility offered the best path to enhance campus facilities for maximum impact in multiple areas of the Stevens experience.”
The design mirrors the style of the UCC, which in turn reflects the existing Hayden and Davis Halls. The new building will feature a brick facade on its lower portion and a largely glass curtain wall above. These choices, Maffia said, help to provide a visual transition between the campus’s traditional and historic buildings and its more modern additions. “We aim to create a modern building that will seamlessly blend with the existing feel of the surrounding campus.” However, a prominent rooftop canopy distinguishes the new structure from the existing UCC towers.
Stevens assured current students that the start date for the replacement project has not yet been decided. Until then, the dormitory will continue to house first-year students. The last time a student dormitory was closed, back when Jacobus and Hayden Halls were cleared to make way for the UCC, Stevens leased buildings in Hoboken to use as temporary student housing and expanded the shuttle service to help students commute to and from campus. Dr. Sara Klein, Vice President for Student Affairs, has previously emphasized the University’s wish to offer on-campus housing to all students who request it, noting that expansions within Stevens’s limited campus footprint are designed to bring the school closer to achieving that goal.
While the timeline for the Davis replacement project remains uncertain, the University Center Complex (UCC) offers a recent precedent for a project of similar scope. After the UCC’s design was revealed in late 2018, Jacobus and Hayden Halls were demolished in 2019, with Hayden housing its final students until the end of the Spring 2019 semester. Construction of the new UCC complex was completed on October 5, 2020, and it officially opened on May 14, 2022. Students moved into the new housing towers in Fall 2022, three years after Hayden closed and a full year later than initially expected. It remains unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the delay.
Just as the UCC served as the centerpiece and capstone to President Farvardin’s first 10-year strategic plan for the University, Davis’s replacement is set to be a major component of Inspired by Humanity, Powered by Technology, the second strategic plan in place until 2032. As noted in the Year 1 Annual Report for that plan, Davis’s replacement will “complete construction” no later than 2032.
The UCC was supported by a $17 million donation from Richard Harries ’58, the namesake of the Harries Tower. Maffia didn’t say whether the Davis project is slated to have an impact on student tuition, noting that a comprehensive funding strategy for the new tower is still under development. “As with all major capital projects, we will pursue various funding sources to ensure the project’s success while maintaining our commitment to responsible financial stewardship.”
Maffia also pointed out recent and future improvements to other on-campus housing. On top of this year’s renovation and addition of restrooms and lounge spaces in Palmer Hall, a major electrical switchgear upgrade for Castle Point Hall is slated for the summer of 2025, followed by a partial restroom renovation in 2026.
Rest assured, says Maffia, existing buildings won’t be neglected as the school pursues Davis Hall’s replacement. “Continually improving our facilities allows us to ensure we serve the needs of Stevens students for generations to come.”
