A housing project as big as relocating thousands of students can be daunting, but the community should be understanding that Syracuse University has time to iron out the details.

SU’s Campus Framework draft proposes shifting the majority of South Campus housing to Main Campus. There are also plans to add 900 more beds to Main Campus and renovate SU-owned property in the Sheraton.

At this time, there are no timelines or building locations set for this plan. In regard to the vagueness of the proposed housing changes, Vice President and Chief Campus Facilities Officer Pete Sala referred to the draft as a “living, breathing document.”

It’s reasonable that it will take time for the university to figure the nuances of the draft’s proposal out, especially given that the school must ultimately coordinate with the city of Syracuse when it comes to building more properties on and around campus.

When the Campus Framework revision is released in January, the university community will have a better idea of how the plan will affect life at SU. Be that as it may, the university should proceed with two ideas in mind: prioritization of current housing structures and the ramifications of building out into the university neighborhood.

Just as Shaw Hall and the Mount have seen renovations over the past few years, the falling-apart residence halls that already exist should also be repaired. Haven Hall, Booth Hall and West Campus are all set for a facelift under the current version of the Campus Framework plan.

In this vein, construction efforts should be put first toward improving current Main Campus housing — before the new townhouses or apartments on Ostrom. There are students living in lounges as makeshift rooms and freshmen-centered dorms are cramped. Considering that this housing project intends to bring more students closer to campus to enrich their experiences, both of the former scenarios degrade the quality of student life the initiative is trying to protect.

Looking outward to the university neighborhood, this plan has the potential to have a reverb effect there. As more SU student housing trickles into the surrounding neighborhood, there is a danger of gentrifying the area and pushing landlords out.

There is no easy answer to a topic as colossal as housing. For better or for worse, too, it’s one of the most important parts of student life. Still, in light of the problems that may arise from this plan’s final form, the honesty of university administrators is refreshing and should continue throughout the framework process.

Disclaimer: The Daily Orange leases a house on Ostrom Avenue owned by Syracuse University. As part of the long-term Campus Framework implementation, the university has proposed building student housing on Ostrom Avenue where The Daily Orange currently operates.

Published on October 18, 2016 at 11:42 pm

Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com