New
dorm plans seek to please residents
By
Will Shaw
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
With over 35,000 students and room for just under 2,000 of them to live on
campus at Cal State Long Beach, Physical Planning and Facilities have begun
to develop plans to improve on-campus housing and on-campus life, with a proposal
for new dining halls, new dorm buildings and new shops in the residential area.
According to Associated Cice President of Physical Planning and Facilities
Scott Charmak the plan is a proposed master plan, which means it is not complete,
and it has not been approved by the university, yet the chances of the changes
going into effect are good.
“
We entered a master plan with the concept of trying to understand within the
existing area that housing occupies how many beds would fit in, assuming that
we still kept open areas and we didn’t go to high rise,” Charmack
said. “We really want to keep the quality of the accommodations and the
environment out there pretty much the way it is.”
With the current proposed plan, the number of students who could live on campus
would double. There would also be apartment living as well as the traditional
dorms and suites that are available right now.
Charmack said, “We will be using existing housing areas, not on the Puvungna.”
Most of the new building structures would be three stories, while one would
be four stories. The current residential buildings would stay, but both dining
halls would be replaced, Charmak said.
According to Charmack, the new dining halls would be multi-story buildings,
in which there would be apartments above the dining halls.
“
The dining halls we have proposed will be nothing like we have now in any way,
shape, or form,” Charmack said. “Not only will the accommodations
be different, it allows for a totally different style of food service. What
we have now is something that was probably common in the ’60s, and what
we would be building is something that would be very contemporary. The students
that live in student housing will like this much better.”
“
I think it’s a great idea, considering how many people complain about
the food here,” said Marie Rippen, a current Parkside Commons resident. “I
think the main problem is the quality of the food, not the variety. I don’t
like my vegetables mushy.”
The new proposed plan will also include a new coffee shop at Parkside Commons
and a convenience store at both Residence Commons and Parkside Commons.
The coffee shop and the convenience store would have “long hours to accommodate
to the needs of residents who live here 24 hours a day,”
Charmak said.
The coffee shop would probably be a Starbucks.
“
There will also be more amenities like meeting rooms, activity rooms, and much
more than is currently available to residents,” Charmack said.
“
I think that the new amenities will add to the overall college experience here,” Rippen
said. “It will turn CSULB into less of a commuter campus, and more of
a place where students can feel at home.”
According to the survey students want residence with more than a room and place
to eat. Charmak said they will do what they can to bring students the amenities
they want.
“
There is not much we can do until the university approves it and does an Environmental
Impact Report,” Charmack said.
“
We need to make sure financially we can do this, and one thing that is really
hurting us is the dramatic increase on the cost of construction, about 50 percent,” Charmack
said.
There will be as many five phases to the new project, with the first phase
not starting to see construction for at least three years.
Charlie Vuong, a Residence Commons resident, is skeptical of the new plan.
“
I hope they don’t up the price of housing to fund this project, because
we probably won’t even be here when it is completed,” he said.
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