The Daily Bulletin Archive

More than 150 students returned to campus and a newly renovated Cassety Hall this semester, greatly easing a student housing crunch that forced some resident students into downtown hotels last year.

According to Timothy Ecklund, associate vice president for campus life, the average cost of a new 150-bed campus housing facility is close to $20 million, so the $2.5 million reconfiguration of Cassety Hall was a significant cost-saving measure for the college.

When it opened in 1949, Cassety Hall was the first permanent residence hall constructed in the State University of New York system. It recently housed student organizations and a few faculty offices. Kris Kaufman, director of residence life, said that while every construction project is a challenge, Cassety Hall’s original structure made the latest transition relatively simple.

First-year and transfer students are experiencing both old and new features in Cassety Hall. Construction crews salvaged some existing materials, such as marble dividers in bathrooms and closets with wood accents. But they replaced windows and carpets, added new sprinkler systems and furniture, and completely remodeled the basement, which features a large common lounge, meeting room, computer lab, laundry facilities, small study rooms, and the resident director’s apartment. Buffalo State offered storage for students’ possessions during the winter break and provided delivery upon return.

Kaufman worked closely with Debra Hurley, Steven Shaffer, and Daniel Herr—all with the Facilities Planning Office—to redesign Cassety Hall and oversee construction. The additional housing, he said, will create “surge space” to focus on other needed housing renovations, particularly the towers on the campus’s north end.

Over time, Kaufman sees Cassety Hall becoming a residence hall for upperclassmen and transfer students. The college’s resident student population has grown from 1,250 in 1992 to more than 2,150 currently.

Tours of Cassety Hall will be offered as part of tomorrow’s grand opening ceremony at the Campbell Student Union Retail Dining Center. Tour groups will leave the Student Union beginning at noon.