Construction on Hinman Dining Hall and Cleveland Hall will last longer than originally planned, according to Binghamton University officials.
The renovations to Cleveland Hall, which were originally supposed to be completed by fall 2020, are now projected to be completed in January 2021. The renovations to Hinman Dining Hall, which were also supposed to be completed for the fall semester, are expected to finish in the summer of 2021, a year later than the University originally told students.
Initially, the project was set to start in summer 2019, but construction fencing was not placed around Hinman College until the fall.
James Brice, associate director of operations and crisis, and Cindy Blackman, assistant director for marketing, wrote in an email that because of unforeseen problems, the project is going to take longer than anticipated.
“Both projects are incredibly complex given the scope of the work and the age of the buildings being addressed,” Brice wrote. “Construction was not delayed. As the amount and type of work required was further designed, additional complexities were encountered that extended the time needed to complete the project.”
It’s not entirely clear what the new plan means for the rest of Hinman College’s aging residential halls. The University originally planned to revitalize a dorm building in Hinman College every year, but that timetable may now be subject to change. This year, Hughes Hall was supposed to be renovated alongside Cleveland Hall, but those plans were scrapped in late spring of last year.
“The quad will remain closed until both the dining hall and Cleveland [Hall] are complete at the minimum, and until Hughes [Hall] is renovated at the maximum,” Blackman said. “A schedule for Hughes [Hall] has not yet been confirmed.”
Some students who live in Hinman College said they are growing frustrated with the construction. Faisal Alam, a Hinman College resident and a freshman majoring in political science, said he feels his sleep and studies are negatively impacted.
“The construction has really made it inconvenient for me, with being woken up at around 7 a.m. as construction vehicles arrive loudly before 8 a.m. when they start construction,” Alam said. “I have been woken up on multiple occasions along with a lot of my floor mates. This started just before finals week last semester, and the noise still hasn’t been addressed.”
Alam said he is also concerned about the price he’s paying to live in Hinman College compared to other communities on campus, given the living community’s current lack of amenities.
“It’s insane; we’re paying the same amount for way less than we should be getting,” Alam said. “It shows how the administration doesn’t properly care about its students the way it claims to care about incoming students. I, as an incoming freshman last year, wasn’t notified until after I picked Hinman [College] that we’d have no dining hall.”
The dining hall is also missed by students who live elsewhere on campus. Ellie Casterline, a sophomore majoring in English, said she plans on graduating early and is frustrated that the dining hall will not be back online until after she graduates.
“I used Hinman Dining Hall daily as a place to eat, grab coffee and sit with my friends,” Casterline said. “With the indoor Starbucks gone, I no longer have a cozy space to work and spend time with my friends. The overflow and overcrowding coming into Appalachian [Collegiate Center] and [College-in-the-Woods] Dining Hall create an unwelcoming atmosphere. Since the renovations are taking longer than expected, I won’t get to enjoy the renovated dining hall, since I’ll graduate before it’s completed.”