Campus Expansion, Two New Dorms Planned for 2017

Plans made for two new dorms by 2017Eduardo CuevasTHE SANTA CLARAJanuary 8, 2014

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]anta Clara has plans to construct two new residence halls near Sobrato Hall within four years to cater to an increasing student population.

One residence hall will replace the existing Fine Arts Building next to Sobrato Hall and the other will be built in place of the Sobrato Parking Lot.

Of the two buildings, one will serve as a  dormitory for lowerclassmen, while the other will serve as upperclassmen apartments.

In total, the buildings will house 600 students.

According to Jane Barrantes, assistant vice president of Auxiliary Services, Santa Clara aims to complete the design of the underclassmen building by April and complete construction in time for the 2017 fall quarter.

The second residence hall would be completed soon after.

Mike Hindery, assistant vice president for Finance and Administration, states there has yet to be an official estimate of the buildings’ costs. In order to finance the project, the Housing Office will borrow money from Santa Clara and use donated funds, Hindery said.

With regards to on-campus dining options, Hindery said, “We do recognize the need to add to our facilities.”

Neither Barrantes or Hindery specified where a new dining hall would be built, but said there have been discussions about enhancing dining and student services for the university.

A student design charrette to be held today will allow 20 students to voice their ideas about the potential design of the new buildings.

“(We) don’t just want (several) separate living spaces,” Barrantes said. “We want to know what students want.”

Eduardo Cuevas is a junior English major.