Dorm Life's Appeal Fuels On-Campus Construction

By the time Erika Enlund graduates in the spring, she will have spent almost four years living at Iona College’s residence halls without ever considering off-campus housing. “I wanted to be around things happening all the time. Especially at Iona, there’s always something going on,” said Enlund, 21, a mass communications major. “To be in the heart of it is important.” More and more undergrads who share that sentiment are driving up the demand for on-campus housing — and local colleges are working to satisfy the need. Pace University is embarking on a consolidation project that will put all its residence halls on its Pleasantville campus. In New Rochelle, Iona College is proposing a new 260-bed dormitory, and Monroe College is reviving plans for a 300-bed residence. Meanwhile, Purchase College, SUNY, is planning a multimillion-dollar renovation of its three existing dorms and says it could stand to build another 500-bed building.