Just across from Canvas Stadium on Pitkin Street sits a large parking lot serving on-campus residents and commuters. This lot is the former site of Aylesworth Hall, a 1950s-era residence hall turned long-time class and administrative space in 1970.

While Aylesworth was deconstructed in 2019 to make way for a new on-campus housing community, Meridian Village, the pandemic had other plans and construction was paused in the spring of 2020. Now that the dust has settled and our campus/community/world assesses the changes around us, Housing & Dining Services is making plans for what comes next with the site.

“The decision not to move forward with Meridian Village is one that we have not made lightly,” said Mari Strombom, executive director of Housing & Dining Services. “The pandemic put a hard pause on our plans for this new build and it is not economically viable to proceed at this time.”

Housing & Dining Services, an auxiliary of CSU, finances construction projects using bonds paid back with revenue generated from room and board fees. Besides the initial hit to revenue in 2020 and 2021, the dramatically shifting bond market and higher construction costs have made multi-million dollar borrowing less feasible.

Increasing interest rates over the last few years and the current cost of construction materials compared to 2020 were major components in the decision to not move forward with Meridian Village. Housing & Dining Services conducted a thorough analysis with development consulting firm Brailsford and Dunlavey, which confirmed that a new build of Meridian Village’s size and likeness would be cost prohibitive in comparison to other options. Housing & Dining Services is now partnering with other CSU entities to determine the best course of action for the site in the short term.

What has not changed is the department’s commitment to providing accessible housing options and services that support the needs of a growing on-campus population. Housing & Dining Services is increasing bed spaces by more than 120 as soon as this coming fall by reconfiguring room types to offer students the option to choose smaller rooms in buildings with more amenities (like air conditioning), at a lower price point. These additions, combined with the planned reopening of Westfall Hall this coming fall, will help accommodate CSU’s growing student body more quickly than would a new build.

Another long-term solution to accommodate the growing demand for on-campus housing being explored is renovating existing buildings. CSU has a long history of redeveloping existing facilities and is exploring the possibilities within its existing portfolio of 12 residence halls. Ingersoll, Parmelee, Corbett, Braiden, and most currently Westfall, have all undergone extensive renovations that have modernized the spaces and increased bed spaces, while also honoring the buildings’ original bones. A structural assessment of existing residence halls, including Allison, Newsom, Ingersoll and Edwards, will be completed soon to determine what is possible.

“We are committed to supporting student success through living and learning experiences in campus housing,” said Strombom. “Three years later, we are thinking differently about how we best achieve this ideal for current and future Rams.”