St. Lawrence University plans $30M worth of improvements

CANTON, New York (WWNY) - St. Lawrence University is planning $30 million in renovations. The Canton campus is set to make improvements over 3 years.

When SLU seniors graduate this May, the campus will undergo a transformation from redoing residential halls to other infrastructure.

The work is driven by input from students and faculty.

“We have a group of people that includes student representatives, people from our residence life staff, our facilities and operations staff, designers and architects who are all working together and that means the student voice is being heard as we decide exactly what we’re going to do and exactly what that outcome will be,” said SLU President Kathy Morris.

Bob Hance, SLU’s associate vice president of facilities, says these renovations are certainly needed.

“It’s been coming for some time. You know, most of our dorm stock is from the ‘60s and ‘70s and it’s had some minor renovations over the years. But I think it’s been about 15 years since we’ve had an influx of cash into the residence halls,” he said.

The Sullivan Student Center will also be getting some enhancements as well. According to officials, the building is one of the most visited on campus.

Improvements will mostly be inside with the replacement of carpeting and furnishings.

Renovations will also be done at the Owen D. Young Library. As part of its goal to be more sustainable, the university is looking into replacing all incandescent bulbs on campus with LED lights.

Hance says the goal is to have students feel more comfortable with their college experience.

“It’s extremely important. You know, the students are the ones living there, so who else is better to tell us what needs to be done,” he said.

The university will bond for the $30 million through the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency.

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