|
|
College
Purchases Firelands for New Student Housing
Apartment Complex Will Offer A More Independent Feel
by Cori Winrock
Last Spring, a commitment was made by the College to
purchase the Firelands apartment building on South Pleasant Street.
The building may open as a dormitory for students as soon as next
Fall. The proposal to buy the building, which is currently a nursing
home, was approved last semester by the Oberlin College Board of Trustees.
It is currently owned by United Church Homes, who must first build
or find a new facility in Oberlin before vacating.
Before students will be able to move into the seven-story building,
some renovations will be needed. The building, intended for upper
classmen, will provide apartment-style accommodations, including bathrooms
and kitchenettes for each separate unit. It is intended to serve as
alternative housing option for upper-classman who might otherwise
choose to live off campus.
I have reason to believe that it will be an attractive option
for students, Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith said, noting
that the building will require fewer staff members than conventional
residence hall staffing, due to its accommodation of more independent
lifestyles.
A major concern raised regarding the purchase of Firelands is that
there is already a problem with empty beds in existing residence halls
and some wonder what purpose the new building will serve. The plans
to purchase Firelands predated current concerns over the amount of
empty beds.
Over 90 beds across campus remain unfilled this year. This is the
first time this problem has occurred in recent history and presents
a major financial loss for the College.
It was a mistake not to fill our beds. We really must fill our
resident halls, College President Nancy Dye said, emphasizing
that the problem was not one of under-enrollment but largely due to
the increased number of juniors and seniors allowed off-campus status.
To counteract this problem and ensure that dorms are filled, the College
plans to reinstitute an off-campus housing lottery, in which upperclassmen
will no longer be guaranteed off-campus privileges. The lottery, while
not new, has not been enforced for several years.
President Dye also noted that the off-campus mass-exodus of recent
years has proven to be a negative factor for several neigborhoods
in town. The city has asked the College to limit the number of students
living off-campus due to the number of houses being managed by out-of-town
landlords who do not take proper care of their properties, resulting
in the deterioration of certain neighborhoods.
Despite these obstacles, the College administration remains confident
of the buildings success. Filling Firelands shouldnt
be an enormous challenge, Goldsmith said.
Student opinion of the Colleges decision to purchase Firelands
is varied. Some students felt they would be more apt to welcome the
building once they were able to see it, many not even knowing where
Firelands was.
It seems like a good idea for upper classmen, but if [the Colleges]
purpose is to keep students on campus rather than moving off campus
it seems a little bit of an oxymoron, sophomore Abby Weiland
said
Some students expressed a degree of skepticism regarding the buildings
success, particularly noting its distance from campus. Its
too far away for people to have to go, sophomore Brad Walsh
said.
Different styles of housing would be nice, but the distance
factor is a deterrent as far as on campus housing, junior Anna
Hare added.
Some students, however, feel that Firelands will not be that difficult
to fill and see the purchase as a good investment. If its
cost effective, I would think about it, senior Jenn Dominguez
said.
Other students found the possibility of living in a former nursing
home somewhat strange. I dont want to live in an old nursing
home, junior Andy Campbell said.
|
|
|