When Chidsey Hall residents clear out their rooms in May, they will take with them more than just overstuffed bags and peeled paint from improperly hung command strips. With them leaves the current iteration of Davidson’s newest residence hall built in 2012. Renovations are set to begin May 19 and conclude by July 27.
According to current plans shared with The Davidsonian by construction project manager Jon Symoniak, two lounges will be converted into two double occupancy rooms and a third lounge will become three single occupancy rooms. Renovations will also include new paint, flooring, lighting and furniture. The project is expected to cost $2 million; a budget will be finalized by April 1.
Ellie Farry, budgets and facilities coordinator for the residence life office, said rotating dorm renovations are scheduled to address evolving student needs.
“What students wanted in a residence hall, what their needs were in a residence hall, have changed so much,” Farry said. “We need to think through all of those things so that we can make it meet the needs of the students now versus [14] years ago.”
The first step of the process is removing and donating the existing furniture to make room for new beds, dressers and desks.
“We [will] donate all of our furniture. We have a great organization that I have worked with for years, Beds For Kids, and they take the furniture and use it for children in need,” Farry said. “They will come in and take that, and then once that’s out, we hit the ground running, but it will be wrapped up before move-in. It’s tight, but it’s always doable.”
Symoniak said the list of renovations to be completed before early arrivals move in by early August is extensive.
Every floor of the residence hall will be painted, including ceilings, walls and accents. The majority of the flooring will also be replaced with a new style of Luxury Vinyl Tile and the fitness center will be re-floored with rubber flooring. The drinking fountains are set to be updated to new high low units that feature water bottle fillers.
The biggest structural changes will be the conversion of certain lounges to dorm style suites.
“[In] the north building […] lounge room number 240 is going to turn into three individual single occupancy dorm rooms with the private entrance coming into the area. [There will be] three private single occupancy dorms,” Symoniak said.
“The kitchen will be removed, and then the kitchen area turns into three, basically vanities. So every dorm room has one vanity with a light mirror, so, you get three vanities in there, and a kind of a shared open space,” Symoniak continued.
Lounge 240 will be the only lounge on the North side of the building converted into dorm style rooms. In the South building, Lounges 212 and 312 will be converted into two double occupancy dorms. This will add a total of 11 occupancy spaces across 3 suites and 8 rooms.
Accommodating needs includes increasing conversation and study areas, given the ongoing library construction. Farry described plans to create a “conversation pit” in the foyer and expand studying spaces beyond the existing corrals. The dining area will remain the same, while high top tables with built in plugs will be added to the middle of the lobby.
Accessibility needs are also being considered in this renovation project. Budget permitting, there are plans to convert single occupancy bathrooms on the second floors of the North and South Building into an incorporated private bathroom within a single dorm room. These plans will reduce overall additions of occupancy spaces to 10.
As the budget continues to be solidified, RLO is continually considering what are the most imperative renovations with an eye towards the future. “We don’t renovate residence halls regularly. There are cycles. We also have to think ahead.” Farry said. “It’s a lot of discussions and brainstorming […] because a decision in a renovation is one you kind of have to stick to once it’s done.”