SUNY New Paltz celebrated the opening of Ridgeview Hall, a modern, 225-bed residence hall that will help meet significant student demand for on-campus housing, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 11. Inaugural residents include first-year, transfer and returning students.
Located on South Road between the Athletic and Wellness Center and Lenape and Esopus Halls, Ridgeview features a new café and gathering space, a seminar room, a faculty apartment, quiet study lounges, Skype rooms and an unparalleled view of New Paltz’s iconic Shawangunk Ridge.
“The opening of Ridgeview Hall is an exciting addition to the College and will help meet significant student demand for safe and reliable housing on- and near campus,” said President Donald P. Christian. “Continued progress on building and improving our physical environment is critical to our ability to serve current and future students with the high-quality programs and opportunities they deserve. Ridgeview Hall is a modern, optimal living and learning space and we’re pleased that it will offer more of our students the opportunity to become more involved in campus life.”
The three-story, 69,000-square-foot residence hall features residential wings organized in clusters of four double beds around two private bathrooms. The building’s design is intended to accommodate students’ requests for heightened privacy while conserving energy and earning Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“I truly believe that SUNY New Paltz is the gem of the SUNY system, and every year that gem gets brighter and brighter by virtue of ceremonies like this.”
– New York State Senator John Bonacic (Mt. Hope – R/C/I).
Ridgeview is the 14th residence hall on campus. With its opening, the College increases its housing capacity to provide about 3,250 students, or approximately 50 percent of undergraduates, with the opportunity to live on campus.
In a statement read on behalf of Assemblymember Kevin Cahill (D-Kingston) ’77 (Political Science) by legislative assistant Vincent Rossetti, Cahill said, “The completion of this building represents the latest in our ongoing commitment to keeping SUNY New Paltz a productive, attractive and forward-thinking institution. This new housing will improve the quality of life of our students, while catering to a continually-growing enrollment of a diverse population that largely wishes to reside on campus.”
Construction of the residence hall, which created 170 construction jobs, officially got underway with a groundbreaking ceremony in December 2013.
The grand opening was attended by New Paltz campus community members and representatives from Architecture +, the firm that designed the building, UW Marx, the general contractor, and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY).
“I speak on behalf of the entire project team when I say this project has been a fulfilling experience for all of us,” said Stephen Curro, managing director of construction from DASNY. “Today I’d like to acknowledge the team members who contributed to the planning, design and construction of Ridgeview Hall. It will now be home to 225 SUNY New Paltz students, and I hope their experiences here will be remembered for the rest of their lives.”
For more information about residence halls at New Paltz visit www.newpaltz.edu/reslife/halls.html.
