The College announced this summer a proposed $3.5 to $4 million expansion to the Choates cluster, an addition of 80 beds, but Director of Residential Operations Woody Eckels said the project is still in the "concept" phase, and he expects the College to select an architect next summer.
The addition will connect Brown and Little halls and Cohen and Bissell halls with two adjuncts.
Eckels said both connections will be identical and each will contain 40 beds. He said there will be no bathrooms added because the same number of students will be living in the Choates when construction is completed.
Eckels said all 84 current one-room doubles in the Choates will be converted to singles, and the new connectors will contain two-room doubles and one-room singles to make up for this decompression.
Most of the current one-room doubles in the Choates are around 200-250 square feet. Once they are converted into singles, Eckels said they will be "very generous" and might attract many upperclass students.
Bridget Canavan '02, who currently lives in one of these doubles, said, "My room as a single would be huge. It is almost as big as my room at home."
Jeff Lee '02, who lives in another one-room double, is not as lucky. He said, "I could benefit from more space. There's barely any room to walk around. [My room] would be a pretty normal-sized single."
The added dorm rooms will be of the same size and layout as the older dorm rooms and will be used for general housing.
Once Little and Brown are connected, there will be an exterior archway leading to Cohen and Bissell Halls. The dorms will be built above the archway.
The plans for this construction have been in development since the fall of 1997. They are part of the general decompression of campus housing occurring over the next several years due to safety improvements and crowded living conditions. The College's Board of Trustees approved the plan at their June meeting.
Brown and Little will be closed during the first construction phase connecting the two residence halls in the summer of 2000, but Cohen and Bissell may be open for summer camps. During the fall of 2000, all Choates buildings will be occupied, and internal construction will continue on the new connector through Fall term. This first connector will be ready for occupancy winter 2001.
Bissell and Cohen will be closed during the second phase of construction connecting those two residence halls beginning in June of 2003, but Brown, Little and their new connection will be open.
During the fall of 2003 all Choates residence halls will be open, and internal work will continue in the second connector throughout the term. The second connector will be open for residence Winter term 2004.
