By Sam Croteau, Herald Contributor – November 10

The Roger Williams campus is going to have two new residence halls built: one for the fall of 2017 and the other for the Fall of 2018. The new buildings will be located in front of the North Campus Residence Hall and alongside Bayside “White Cap.” The residence hall is being built in replacement of the two flats located at off campus Almeida housing. With expensive renovations on the Almeida 200, 300 and 400 buildings, Director of Housing, Tony Montefusco said, “it would not be cost effective to renovate the two flat buildings once we finish with the 2, 3 and 400’s in three to five years”. Despite recent rumors Montefusco shared that “not all of Almeida will be torn down”, just the two flats.

Since each of the flats at Almeida contained 40 beds, both of the new buildings will also house 40 students, 80 in total. The set-up of the new residence halls is very similar to Bayside and North Campus apartments. The first building will contain two three bedroom, six-person apartments; four single efficiencies; five two bed room four-person apartments; and one two bedroom, three-person apartment. There will also be one Resident Assistant for the whole building.

Montefusco says the buildings will house upperclassman, “mostly seniors and some juniors.” Since the housing selection process is done by lottery, upperclassmen get first pick, so sophomores will not be able to live in the new residence buildings. To be able to be carried into apartment-style housing, students must have 33 or more completed credits, which is a main component of the housing selection process at RWU. There is a small possibility a sophomore could live in the new residence buildings through a wait list, if space becomes available.

Montefusco further discussed how the housing committee and the IRHA are looking at and have narrowed down selections for furnishings and color boards as well as a name for the building. There will be one name for the two buildings, but for now, it can be referred to as Bayside 4. Montefusco did add that there is a “possibility” a third building will be built closer to the Bayside White Cap, with sixty beds. However, for now, RWU students can expect to see two new residence hall buildings on campus within the next two years.