After considering renovating the Ridgewood residence halls instead of replacing them, University administrators announced they will go forward with their initial plan to demolish the dilapidated 56-year-old structures to make way for a new residence quad.At a press conference in Gryzmish Friday, the administrators also announced a future upgrade of the southern half of campus, including plans for the demolition of Ziv Commons, a possible new dining facility in the Village and an extension of the central pedestrian walkway into the new quad.

The new residence halls should be ready for occupancy in the spring of 2009, they said.

Plans to demolish Ridgewood had been in the works for over a year, but administrators last month reversed course, saying budget concerns and the housing shortage that would result from construction caused them to reconsider.

But after weighing renovation as an alternative, they eventually decided demolition was a more feasible plan in the long run.

"To renovate Ridgewood would have really been a compromise on what we think the long-term goals are here," Vice President for Capital Projects Dan Feldman said.

Renovating Ridgewood would have cost as much as $8 million and would have added no more than 10 years of viable usage to the buildings, Feldman said. Meanwhile, the demolition and construction project will still cost the originally budgeted $35 million, with those new buildings expected to last about 50 years. $20 million of the funding came from $100 million in new debt approved by the Board of Trustees last fall.

With the loss of Ridgewood's 109 beds, the Department of Residence Life will face a major housing shortage next fall. Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy said this will be addressed in part by converting some graduate student housing in the Charles River Apartments into space for undergraduates, as well as increasing assistance to students in finding off-campus housing.

Despite the housing crunch, administrators stressed a long-term approach toward renovating the campus.

"It's easy to get caught up with the now," Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said.

French added: "Five years from now, nobody will care, and they will be happily living in the new residence quad. We are all in agreement that this makes the most sense."

Feldman and Chief Operating Officer Peter French said the new residence quad will include two or three buildings of apartment-style housing, with kitchens and single bedrooms.

That arrangement best reflects students' housing needs, they said.

In addition to the new residence quad, administrators said the project's other initiatives will help transform the southern half of campus.

Ziv Commons will be demolished to unite Ziv Quad and the new residence quad with a grassy area, Feldman said. And a widened pedestrian walkway, stretching from across the peripheral road, will lead toward the new quad, he said.

The administrators also said they are considering various ideas for a dining area in the empty space in the Village-a response to student complaints that more dining options are needed-including the possibility of a student-run business. French said a final decision regarding the space is expected within the next few months.

In considering renovation, administrators said they explored various options, and part of their research involved visiting renovated buildings similar to the Ridgewood residence halls at the Harvard Divinity School.

"They spent a ton of money on that, and what they've got is Ridgewood with a new coat of paint," Feldman said.

Eddy said the trip to Harvard was "eye-opening," and also credited staff editorials in the Justice advocating against renovation as a factor in the decision.

"[The editorials] really drove us to go out and look, and really look hard at all of our options," she said.

This article was first posted on the Justice's Website Friday.