With the Commons closed for construction and the Corps split between Aston and Dunn Halls, fewer rooms are available for other on-campus residents.
Spence, Kiest, Briggs, Fountain and Gainer Halls are closed for renovation and scheduled to be ready for move-in by August 2016. Whiteley, White, Harrington and Utay Halls will be closed for the 2016-2017 school year with a reopening planned for August 2017.
The construction causes inconvieninces to campus life. Students living on the south side of campus are now without a mutual living space and several dining options, said Residential Housing Association President Jenna McCarty.
“The Commons closing has had an impact on our students,” McCarty said. “While I am super excited for the remodel that the Commons is getting, it does cause some growing pains. Students do have to go a little farther to get food and find places to hangout and study.”
McCarty said Dining Services has been working closely with RHA to make sure students still have plenty of options despite the construction.
“Dining has been great at working with us and hearing ideas that we have of how to best serve those students,” McCarty said. “Just for some reference how much the Commons served a day, I was told that the Commons handled over 5,000 transactions a day for dining.”
Southside halls aren’t the only residence halls surrounded by construction. Executive Vice President of RHA Bryan McBride said the quick construction of the new White Creek Apartment Complex has led to some complaints about the amenities.
“The residents of White Creek have complained about the area not being completely finished, lack of visitor’s parking, lack of cellular reception inside the units themselves, and having to maneuver around all the construction workers both inside and outside of the building,” McBride said. “Being that it is a new facility, it comes with some minor issues and the demand for the necessities of the residents grows exponentially.”
One such minor issue the impact sectioning off the Quad has on the Corps. Wildlife and fisheries sophomore and Corps member Garrick Chinnis-Plant said the construction disrupts his daily path.
“[The Construction] heavily messes up getting around the quad,” Chinnis-Plant said. “The path in front of Duncan Dining Center was traditionally used for morning and evening formations. Due to construction we are now forced to do our formations at a different location.”
Despite the drawbacks of living with construction, McBride is confident the inconvenience will only lead to a better campus.
“While it does come with some inconvenience, the construction going on this year is also a great thing,” McBride said. “It helps Texas A&M University as a whole come together to solve problems and seek more opportunities.”
