Partnership bringing new housing options to UC

Utica Community
Utica Stories
Partnership bringing new housing options to UC

"It has been a goal of ours to bring students back to campus."

Senior Vice President of Student Life and Enrollment Management Jeffrey Gates discusses the forthcoming addition to UC student housing options - Pioneer Village.

Q: Can you tell us about the proposed new student housing village?

A: The new housing is a public-private partnership involving the College, the Utica Municipal Housing Authority, and Albany-based BBL Construction Services. The plan calls for three student residence buildings, which will be located next to the tennis courts near the Todd and Jen Hutton Sports and Recreation Center.

Q: Why is this new housing needed?

A: For the past two years, the College has leased space at the Ramada Inn for students, and provided bus transportation to and from campus. It has been a goal of ours to bring
students back to campus. Once finished, the new housing would eliminate the need for the Ramada.

Q: Tell us a little about the floor plans.

A: The housing plans call for three student residence buildings, which will have apartment-style living spaces. The buildings will accommodate 144 beds and include a 183-space parking lot. Each unit will have four single bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, washer, dryer, and dishwasher.

Q: What else can you tell us about the plans?

A: The new buildings will be offered to juniors, seniors and graduate students. The College also has plans to place resident assistants on each floor. An area coordinator
will live in the residence director apartment, adjacent to a common recreation center to coordinate student-housing activities. It is likely the Housing Authority will have a role in
the physical building maintenance.

Q: When is the project expected to break ground?

A: Pending necessary approvals, we hope to break ground in the late spring or summer to have the apartments ready for fall 2019.