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The double-occupancy rooms, five in Main’s South Tower and the other five in the North Tower, were gutted and rebuilt and outfitted with new furniture, and bathrooms in each tower were completely renovated, said Michael Quattrociocchi, Project Manager and Manager of Vassar’s Building Trades. High-efficiency, double-paned windows were installed, and both towers were equipped with new sprinkler systems and fire alarms.

Vassar acted as general contractor for the project, hiring subcontractors to perform the work. The renovations began in early June and were completed in mid-August. Nine of the rooms are currently occupied.

Quattrociocchi said the rooms did not meet all of the requirements that existed in the state building code that was in place in 2015. He said the College was still legally permitted to use them as a “pre-existing, nonconforming use,” but decided it was prudent to take them out of service. When a new state building code went into effect, Vassar had the option of building a fire separation wall on the fifth floor of Main or upgrading the sprinkler systems in each tower. “The College decided to implement both modifications to exceed the building code requirements,” Quattrociocchi said.

In addition to the work in the fifth floor towers, all residence rooms in Main were equipped with new mattresses and new window blinds. Quattrociocchi said the renovations in the towers are the first in a series of upgrades planned over the next few years for the rest of the residence areas of Main as well as other student housing on campus. He said funds for systematic renovation of student residences had been set aside but that all plans are subject to change due to the financial challenges the College faces due to the COVID-19 pandemic.