Ashton residents voice their concerns on dorm construction

Ashton residents said they feel misinformed and ignored by the administration in regard to the construction near Ashton Center.

Students voiced their complaints Wednesday night to Residential Programs and Services concerning the construction near their building.

The new living areas will serve 831 students. The project will take 12 to 15 months to complete, and the construction will start at the north end and go south.

These building plans, however good for IU, will cause inconveniences for students, specifically the residents of Ashton, said sophomore Lorne Russell, president of Ashton.

“It is 50 percent good and 50 percent bad,” Russell said.

The major concern for the residents of Ashton is a lack of parking spaces and the amount of noise due to construction.

Once the construction is under way, there will be an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work schedule on weekdays. Most construction work will cease on the weekends.

In two or three weeks a fence will go up, taking up most of the parking lot, which will eliminate many D-spots in the Ashton lot.

The project is estimated at $79 million.

Some of the buildings will offer classrooms, an outdoor seating area, a convenience store, a computer lab, a cardiovascular fitness center and closed and open lounges.

The additions are being made because older students feel they do not have enough options when it comes to living on campus, said Patrick Connor, executive director of RPS.

“We are building for the future,” Connor said.

At the meeting, students voiced major concerns and assisted in making resolutions. As for the noise, they proposed reducing the construction during exam periods.

Students who feel extremely inconvenienced by this project may also have the opportunity to move into open spaces in other residence halls.

Students in Ashton who have D5 parking spaces will either be reimbursed or will be allowed to have universal parking in other D spaces.

“We hear the students’ concerns and are trying to address them,” Connor said.
Some students feel as if this project is doing more harm than good.

“We are being shortchanged. They want us to follow regular protocol,” said junior Tia Moore, an Ashton resident. “We are the ones who are paying for everything. They should take us into consideration.”

But some Ashton residents do not understand the benefit of these additions and do not see how this undertaking will help them.

“To me the plan is not realistic,” said junior Lakecia Walton, an Ashton resident. “I’m glad I won’t be here to see it.”