Alliance and Vander Poel Halls closed next year for renovations

The two halls will be closed in the 2024-2025 school year due to repairs being added to update the building. // Photo courtesy of Anthony-22 on Wikimedia Commons

Alliance and Vander Poel Halls will be closed for repair during the entire 2024-2025 school year. Over the summer, new turnstiles will be installed in the remaining four towers in time for this fall.

The two towers will receive waterproofing work already seen in Constitution and Estabrook Halls. The flooring and lighting in corridors and common areas will also be renovated.

More obvious cameras will be added to bolster security efforts in the lobbies of all six towers.

The Physical Plant department of Hofstra University facilitates all structural work on campus and cites wind-driven rain as one of the most prominent causes for the upcoming repairs. This past year brought no shortage of torrential downpours and flooding to Hofstra, and these fixes are arriving in good time to nurse some ailing rooms.

“The windows are a problem, I always hear the wind,” said Nicole Miller, a resident of Alliance Hall and a sophomore biology major. Miller has dealt with multiple leaks and is one of numerous tower residents who have had to contend with water damage and accompanying issues like mold growth.

Workers will begin in June, caulking fissures in windows and concrete as well as sealing the roofs of both towers. Luxury vinyl plank flooring with a wood-like appearance will replace aging carpet and vinyl tiling, while brighter LED lighting hopes to put forth a friendlier tone than the current fluorescent hues.

After students move out of their buildings in May, the Physical Plant and Residence Life departments will conduct their annual room condition reports to evaluate each unit for paint chips, holes and furniture damage.

The current gates will be removed in favor of swinging “optical” turnstiles. The acrylic barriers resemble those in the New York City subway. Two small doors will open to allow all building residents to enter using the same entrance.

According to Joseph Barkwill, the vice president for facilities and operations at Hofstra, changing the turnstiles aims to increase accessibility and functionality.

Some of the upcoming additions have already been installed elsewhere on campus. New lighting and flooring in Hofstra’s towers were received well, paving the way for these fixtures to arrive at the towers.

Across Hofstra’s campus, many buildings are under construction in order to make updates for safety and aesthetic reasons. // Photo courtesy of Hofstra University

“It is not just us,” Barkwill said. “We work with our peers [in other departments] to look at the buildings and see what the students tell us.”

As for the new cameras in tower lobbies, Barkwill noted that they will not be constantly monitored by an entity like Public Safety but will serve as an investigative tool following incidents. However, the noticeably larger cameras are meant to be seen and deter unwanted activities.

This year is the first that two towers will be repaired simultaneously. The $3.5 million allocated in 2022 to fix the towers was set to be spent over six years, but flexibility in the budget and housing numbers have allowed plans to accelerate.

Each tower’s upgrades cost about $583,000. Between the first two towers renovated, $1.16 million was spent, and that same number is anticipated for the next two, according to Barkwill.

Current Vander Poel residents have been given the option to dorm in Nassau Hall, a suite-style building that has been configured to accommodate residents of the closing honors college tower. Vander Poel residents relocating to Nassau will not see a change in their housing costs.

According to Barkwill, Physical Plant conducted reports in 2022 that identified Constitution as the tower with the most damage from leaks. Constitution was closed and renovated that year, followed by Estabrook in 2023.

After these renovations, Enterprise and Bill of Rights will be the last towers to close for repairs during the school year of 2025 and potentially 2026. Housing accommodations for 2025 will determine whether the last two buildings will be repaired at the same time. Residents of Bill of Rights and Enterprise have also experienced their fair share of leaks.

Physical Plant said that the waterproofing measures are intended to last roughly ten years, and students hope the coming changes will make for a happier and drier home.