Rider Breaks Ground on New Residence Halls
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| (l - r) The Bronc, Maria Pizarro, president of the Residence Hall Association; President Mordechai Rozanski; and Lauren Vendetta, SGA president break ground at the site of the new residence hall. |
“New facilities continue to be a top priority at Rider and are evidence of our continuing commitment to one of the most important facets of our Strategic Plan: our student centeredness,” Rozanski explained to about 150 faculty members, students, administrators, Lawrence Township officials and council members. “Our students want to live on campus and we want to make our best efforts to accommodate them.”
When it is completed in June 2009, West Village will consist of two buildings totaling 48,000 square feet and will have the capacity to house 152 residents. The complex, designed by the Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., of Trenton, will include a mix of loft-style living areas, apartments, suites and premium doubles, some with kitchen facilities and each with its own washer and dryer.
The project will also provide 121 new parking spaces as part of the new construction, and with the addition of 95 additional spaces being constructed nearby, the campus will net about 216 new parking spaces by fall 2009.
Cindy Threatt, director of Residence Life, said that surveys conducted by her office studies revealed that Rider students were also concerned about the environmental impact of any new construction and that the West Village residence halls were designed with that in mind. An environmentally friendly project, the West Village construction has received certification Silver by The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.
“The location provides privacy and wonderful aesthetics, the orientation of the buildings promote community and the environmentally friendly design supports the students desire to promote sustainability,” Threatt said. “Being able to provide top quality facilities is a key component to a successful residential program that can respond to students needs.”
During the initial phases of the project, a team of draft horses will be employed to haul felled logs from the woods that sit adjacent to the site, an environmentally friendly method of removal that will earn Rider additional points toward its LEED certification. What’s more, the timber will then be transported to Pittstown, N.J., for milling by Citilog, an eco-conscious lumber mill, before being shipped back to Rider for use in the construction via the company’s Full Circle Recycling Program.
Maria Pizarro, president of the Residence Hall Association, a sub-government of the Rider Student Government Association, commended the University’s swift response to the demand for more campus housing.
“As a student, I am excited because this new hall will give us the opportunity to become more self sufficient and still have the on-campus benefits that Rider University provides us,” she said. “With the demand for on campus housing continuing to increase, it is great that the university will be able to respond to the demand so quickly. Providing more premium spaces that offer greater autonomy will help students with the transition to living off-campus when they graduate.”
Submitted on April 24, 2008
