The cornerstone of a new environmentally conscious residence hall was unveiled Thursday by the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry at the construction site.

Despite rainy weather, students, faculty and officials celebrated the milestone event.

The dorm is officially named Centennial Hall because it will be completed in August 2011, ESF’s centennial year. This will be the first residence hall specifically for ESF students, who previously used Syracuse University facilities for on-campus housing.

‘It’s very exciting for us,’ said Brenda Greenfield, executive director of the ESF College Foundation. ‘It’s going to allow us to grow in ways we never thought were possible.’

The unveiled cornerstone was made of red and gray stone with 2011 carved into one of the sides.

Construction on the dorm began after 18 homes on Oakland Street were demolished in May to make room for the new building. The $31.5 million project is being funded by Onondaga Civic Development Corporation and TD Bank.

The project was made possible through the combined efforts of the community, said Sen. Dave Valesky, D-N.Y.

‘When we all work together at all levels, great things can happen in Syracuse and Central New York,’ Valesky said.

The building will feature a storm water management system, recycled or sustainable building materials, and a bicycle storage and maintenance area, said ESF President Neil Murphy.

Murphy spoke at the ceremony and emphasized the hard work necessary to make the new dorm a reality and the innovative elements that will make the building environmentally responsible. The dorm is on track to be certified at the Gold level for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, with 35 of the necessary 39 points earned.

The U.S. Green Building Council awards LEED certification based on energy use, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emission reduction, air quality and responsible resource use.

‘This will help to write a rich, new chapter in ESF’s history,’ Murphy said.

The new dorm is meant to build a sense of community for ESF students, Greenfield said. She said it will attract prospective students who factor housing into their decision to attend a school.

Along with recruiting students, the dorm’s natural storm water management, energy management systems and other green aspects can be integrated in the classroom, Murphy said.

In addition to integration in the classroom, lessons learned from the project can be applied to the rest of the community, said Bill Fisher, the Onondaga County deputy county executive.

‘At the end of the day, we are going to need a lot of young people to take what they are learning here at ESF and apply it to real world problems,’ Fisher said.

Students welcomed the new dorm as a way of becoming more independent from SU. All ESF freshmen currently live in the Skyhalls on South Campus.

‘As an orientation leader over the past two years, we’ve had some problems expressing our excitement for our freshmen living on South Campus,’ said Eugene Law, president of ESF’s Undergraduate Student Association.

The new dorm is especially exciting for students who lived on South Campus as freshmen and weren’t happy with the experience, said Katherine Rossero, a sophomore conservation biology major.

‘It’s exciting for the new freshmen, as well,’ Rossero said. ‘They are going to be able to live in a place that reflects our values.’

Others said they are happy to see ESF implementing concepts they are learning in the classroom.

‘Putting the policies into action is the most important part,’ said Arash Dhillon, a sophomore biotechnology major. ‘I’m very eager to see it done by next year.’

jlsiart@syr.edu

Published on September 19, 2010 at 12:00 pm