BY CAROLINE BUNNELL & KELLY LEWIS
With housing selection coming up, students may want to take a second look at Boland Hall, Colonial, and Commonwealth Courts, the three residential areas expected to get a facelift over the summer.
On March 3, The Office of Residence Life posted a photo on the @Hillreslife Instagram account announcing the upcoming renovations.
“Can I get a HILL YEAH for the renovations coming to Boland and the Courts this summer?!” the caption said.
Associate Vice President for Finance and Operations Craig Binney presented the details of all residence hall updates to employees at a community gathering last month on February 2, 2022.
Colonial and Commonwealth Courts are town-style resident areas located in the center of campus that house upperclassmen.
Binney said the Colonial Court was built from 1969 to 1971 and the Commonwealth Court from 1968 to 1970. Both courts underwent significant renovations in 1993.
According to the presentation, all the courts’ houses will receive new bedroom and lounge furniture, new flooring, and new kitchens during phase one of renovations beginning this summer.
Fiona O’Brien, a senior, said that last year she and her friends were hoping to get a suite in New Hall, (newly named Bogan Hall). She said her group ended up in the Colonial Courts, in Irving.
“We were a bit discouraged, but we knew wherever we lived we would have fun and make the most of it,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien said there were problems when they first moved into Irving during the Fall of 2021. It wasn’t clean and smelled of mold.
“After talking to Res Life they finally agreed to give us new flooring and furniture. It fixed the smell and we are very happy with our living conditions now,” she said.
Emily May, a junior living in the courts, agreed that a renovation needed to be done and that it could influence students’ housing decisions.
“I think for many students, one of the big factors for going for Bogan Hall was how new the suites are. The courts are a great location, in the middle of campus, the only issue was how dated it was,” May said.
Binney said Boland Hall is in its second phase of renovations. Phase one of renovations were completed in the summer of 2019. The lobby area was upgraded with new furniture and windows.
“During phase two we plan to replace all doors, hallway carpet, room flooring, install new bedroom furniture, and convert the basement lounge to a game room,” Binney said.
According to the Stonehill website, Boland Hall typically houses first-year students and sophomores of all genders. Binney said Boland Hall was built in 1957.
First-year Caleigh Fitzgerald lives in Boland Hall and said she wants to see improvements to the bathrooms, as well as the basement’s common room.
“I think the bathrooms definitely need to be renovated, as well as the common room in the basement. I feel like people would be more inclined to hang out with other people in the building if the common room was more appealing to be in,” Fitzgerald said.
According to the presentation, Boland Hall will also undergo a third phase of renovations in the Summer of 2023. The plan is to upgrade all of the bathrooms in the building.
“The Campus has undergone a significant transformation over the past few years and seeing a renewal of many of our residence halls is exciting,” Binney said.
He said the goal is to improve the living experience for resident students.
Future tentative renovation plans could include O’Hara Hall, as well as the exterior of the courts
New furniture in Boland Hall lobby.
Summit photo by Caroline Bunnell
Front exterior of Boland Hall.
Summit photo by Caroline Bunnell
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