BROCKPORT, N.Y. — When SUNY Brockport underclassmen arrived on campus this fall, they didn’t expect the doorsteps of their dorms to soon become a construction site. The northern campus of SUNY Brockport is currently undergoing phase II of its revitalization project, which includes a lot of major improvements.
Some of the highlights of the Northern Campus Revitalization Project include the creation of more pedestrian walkways, more social gathering spaces, improved LED dark-sky lighting, and the addition of over 200 new trees to campus.
Freshman Karli Mann, 18, and Katherine Olesen, 19, are currently roommates and share some grievances about the campus’s construction.
“When I first arrived on campus, there was no construction going on, and I didn’t hear anyone talking about it. So when November came and there was a bunch of construction equipment, we were all kind of confused what was going to be done. Then, it seemed like in a matter of days, the entire campus was ripped up.” said Olesen.
The current state of Brockport’s north campus is not pretty, but change doesn’t happen overnight. SUNY Brockport began the project on November 9, 2020, and plans to complete phase II by approximately November of 2022.
Mann became aware of the construction project shortly after it began, however, she holds a more positive outlook on the situation.
“I am happy that they are making these positive changes to the campus, and it looks like it is going to turn out really well. I have seen the pictures of what they plan for it to turn out like, and it looks way better than it did before. I was a little annoyed that we didn’t get a ton of warning about the construction. I wouldn’t say that I am mad about the construction, just a little frustrated that I wasn’t more prepared,” said Mann.
SUNY Brockport has provided students with a map that shows alternate routes they can take to get to each building on campus. The highlighted orange area is where the construction is occurring and the red lines are the alternate paths students can take.
After looking at the maps above, it is clear that the North Campus Revitalization Project comes at a cost of convenience to those students who live on the northern campus. Sophomore Julia Mascaro, 20, was aware of the construction plans and said it was a factor when she was deciding to move off campus in the spring of 2020.
“I was an on campus resident last year, and had heard about the construction that was going to be happening next year. Although it was not a major part of my decision to leave, I am so thankful I did. I tried to go into Harrison last week and I had to walk in a maze to avoid the center of the northern campus,” said Mascaro.
When SUNY Brockport’s campus went into lockdown, according to Mascaro, many underclassmen planned moved off campus for the 2020 fall semester in an effort to avoid COVID in the dorms. With the addition of the construction, it is encouraging even more underclassmen to try to move off campus.
“I can’t even go get my own dinner without walking through a full blown construction site. It’s pretty annoying. And, they aren’t even going to be finished until another year on campus. It is also very frustrating when I am trying to take a nap. But I guess they have to do construction projects at some point, and during a pandemic is a better time than any other,” said Olesen.
In about a year and a half, phase II of the North Campus Revitalization Project will be complete. Although it’s inconvenient and frustrating for students, the project is essential to the overall beautification and improvement of the campus.
By the fall of 2022, the pandemic behind us and the North Campus Revitalization Project completed, students will again be able to coexist in a comfortable and communal space right outside of their dorm rooms.
