August 31 - New Rider Residence Hall Apartments, Suites Open to Students

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – A new contemporary look to the main mall will greet Rider University students when they return to the Lawrenceville campus on Sunday and Monday (September 4-5).

On the north side of the mall, the new 186-bed residence hall and three-story additions to Ziegler and Hill Residence Halls are distinguished by their attractive façade that stretches more than 550 feet – almost two football fields in length. A portal area between Hill and the new residence hall provides an attractive arched entrance to the new quad area for the residential community.

Inside the new residence hall and additions, students will find exceptional living accommodations with apartment and suite arrangements, including many amenities.

On the south side of the mall, the 50,000 sq. ft. Student Recreation Center (SRC) scheduled for late October completion complements the look and style of the new residence hall architecture.  The SRC will provide students from both Rider’s Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses enhanced intramural, fitness and recreational space.

Together, the two projects, totaling more than $20 million, transform the look of the mall and visually symbolize the renewal taking place on both campuses.

“I would like to thank the Spiezle Architectural Group, Gilbane Construction and everyone at Rider involved with these two projects, particularly our Facilities Management administrators and staff, for their terrific work. We began these projects just over 16 months ago, and we’ve accomplished so much in that short time,” Rider President Mordechai Rozanski said. “This is all about our students and reflects our commitment to create living, learning and recreational facilities that improve the quality of campus life.”

The new residence hall contains a combination of apartments and suites. The former one-story Hill and Ziegler lounges have been converted into four, three-story suites.  Here are some of the amenities the apartments and suites feature.

• All apartments in the new residence hall have kitchen units with electric stove, hood, refrigerator, ample counter space and modern cabinets.  There is a washer and dryer in each apartment.
• All apartments and suites are furnished, have a private shower, toilet and vanity area, as well as a carpeted living room with sofa, loveseat, coffee table and television cabinet.
• All units have individually controlled heating and air conditioning in the bedrooms.
• There is voice, data and cable capability in each bedroom as all Rider students have in their rooms on both campuses.  Apartments and suites also have cable and data connections in the living rooms.
• The new residence hall is also air conditioned and contains two study lounges, a recreation lounge, a kitchen lounge that comes with a large-screen television, a new laundry room, and an elevator.
• There is a common entrance area for Ziegler Residence Hall and the new residence hall with 24-hour desk attendants in the reception area, mail box area, and a conference room.
• The existing hallways in Ziegler connecting to the new residence hall and the existing hallways in Hill have received new carpeting and fresh paint. New lighting is forthcoming soon.

Meanwhile, the SRC is scheduled for late October completion and its amenities are impressive.

• The 3,600 sq. ft. fitness center will have a full circuit of 16 Selectorized Life Fitness machines that work the whole body and 21 Life Fitness cardiovascular machines, 11 of which come equipped with LCD televisions and basic cable TV.
• The center will also have a full rack-and-a-half of dumb bells and free weights, as well as four plasma, 34-inch televisions for viewing.
• The group exercise room, equipped with its own sound system, will host all facets of group exercises ranging from aerobics to cardio kickboxing. In all, there will be 20 exercise classes per week with certified instructors. Personalized training will also be available.
• There will be three, multi-purpose playing courts for basketball, volleyball and tennis.
• The second floor will feature a three-lane, 165 meter jogging track and a 1,100 sq. ft. game room with pool tables, ping pong tables, foosball and its own sound system.
• A well-equipped meeting room on the second floor will seat from 20-40 people and have PowerPoint and speaker phone capabilities, as well as several data ports.
• There will also be second floor offices for intramurals, conference service and event planning.

The 9,000 sq. ft. lobby/atrium connecting the SRC and Alumni Gymnasium is equally impressive.  Its exterior glass fronting and brick work, pitched roofs and cupola echo the residence hall architecture across the mall.

• There will be a snack and beverage area, bistro and cocktail tables and chairs.
• Club chairs and couches in another section will provide a gathering place for students and members of the Rider community near a 65-inch plasma television.
• A mezzanine will lead to the meeting and game rooms.