Cal Poly has been undergoing renovations and building new facilities over the past couple of years, with several projects still ongoing. It’s great that they are being built… but do they have to be built simultaneously?!! Here are some pros and cons I’ve discovered while dealing with the construction here at Cal Poly as a first-year student.
The Love
1. Brand new housing
Compared to the dorms students are living in currently, the new living spaces are definitely an upgrade! Ĺ‚ktoĘ” and Building B will provide housing for about 1,300 students when completed, supporting the new two-year housing program. On top of this, the development is using modular construction, which is really cool! This unique construction process involves building modules off campus and assembling them once they arrive at the construction site. Throughout the years, these two buildings, which should be completely done by 2027, will be accompanied by seven others by (hopefully) 2030! Overall, the nine new buildings should house about 4,000 students, which is a major upgrade for students who have been dying in their non-air-conditioned dorms!
2. A home for support
Instead of walking around for 10 minutes to find advising centers hidden in different buildings, everything will be in one place! Opening in Fall 2027, the new Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Success Center will be home to numerous supportive communities and programs, including Career Services, Academic Advising, the Student Success Center, and safe study areas for students. Three stories of assistance will bring students together in so many ways. I’m personally excited for the lounges. Not to study, but to take really long naps (or “mental breaks,” so I don’t get banned already).
The hate
1. The noise.
I’ve heard it, you’ve heard it, we’ve all heard it. Who doesn’t love to wake up to drills or hear loud beeping noises during a two-hour lecture? Construction for these new sites begins bright and early at 7 a.m.. Multiple residential communities, such as South Mountain, North Mountain, and the apartment complexes, have reported (and complained) that the noises start before 7 a.m. and continue past their scheduled end time. I moved in earlier than the regular move-in days (I love you, C.O.R.E.) and didn’t realize that there would be so much construction around campus. I would hear heavy-loaded trucks beeping by my window at 3 a.m. because they assumed that nobody was here yet. Super upsetting!
2. “This is NOT Taco Bell”
Along with the crazy, nonstop noise, many sidewalks and roadways are blocked off specifically for construction. This has led students to navigate campus… with their internal compasses. Many students, despite walking the same route to class the day before, find themselves returning the next day only to discover that the pathway has been closed off. Even when students look at Apple Maps for a late-night snack, the new shortcuts can leave them lost in the trees.
Cal Poly construction is still super frustrating, but I’m super excited to see how all of these projects will improve our campus. I know I’ll forget about the nuances right now when I’m in a new, spacious room next year (hopefully). Still, one thing that would totally outweigh the hate would be a nice big fan for every dorm room. I hope you are reading this, Housing.