Housing and Dining Programs (HDP) still does not have a specific date for the completion of East Campus construction, as sophomores who were meant to move into the new dorms are forced to live in temporary housing until late this fall, according to Christina Colasanto, the East Campus project manager.
The halls were originally slated to be ready in time for move-in this month, but a delay in construction due to weather issues was announced in February, according to Colasanto.
“We remain hopeful that residents who selected Federal and Congressional Halls will be able to move in late in the fall semester,” Colasanto said in an email. “We expect to provide a detailed schedule to residents at the end of September, including information such as a move-in date.”
As discussed at the latest ANC meeting on July 6, Congressional Hall is predicted to be the first hall open to East Campus residents, with a forecasted opening slated for this November. Federal Hall is projected to be completed in December. Constitution Hall has a planned opening date of February 2017 -- three months after the estimated opening date of the first East Campus residence hall, as stated by the American University Campus Plan Modification.
In order to plan for a possible delay in East Campus construction, Colasanto and other HDP staff members held one-on-one meetings with East Campus residents in April and May. Colasanto said residents had the opportunity to select another room on campus of the same type (double or single) that they had chosen for East Campus their new room is finished.
The vacant spaces resulting from the East Campus move will give first-year students the opportunity to de-triple and move into what was initially slated as a first-year dorm for this academic year. All first-year residents and their parents were given information about the housing assignments and delays via e-mail and during Eagle Summit.
Colasanto continued to update residents on the progress of their halls throughout the summer, she said.
“In early summer, I continued these conversations through Skype to ensure all residents had multiple opportunities to meet (fellow residents) and in the end, over 95 percent of East Campus residents had one of these meetings,” Colasanto said in an email. “Any student who chose not to meet with us was also given a contingency assignment this summer as well as a summary of information shared with other residents.”
