CORRECTION APPENDED (SEE BOTTOM)The demolition of Ridgewood Quad in May will result in the net loss of about 50 beds for upperclassmen next fall, Associate Director of Residence Life Jeremy Leiferman said.

Residence Life will reduce the number of beds in the Charles River Apartments for graduate students from 90 to 60, and move sophomores in that quad to Scheffres Hall in North Quad, Leiferman said, resulting in an additional 50 to 60 beds in Charles River for upperclassmen. Ridgewood Quad currently houses 109 beds.

"In order to lose as little places for juniors and seniors as possible, we first had to increase housing for sophomores around campus," Director of Residence Life Richard DeCapua said.

DeCapua added that the loss of beds will not have a dramatic effect on upperclassmen because many of them have found off-campus housing in the past. He said a new ResLife staffer who will assist juniors and seniors searching for off-campus housing makes changes "a win-win situation for [upperclassmen]." Residence Life is still conducting its search for the new staffer.

The new residence hall that will replace Ridgewood will consist of several apartment-style buildings with a total capacity of 200 beds, DeCapua said, resulting in a net gain of around 90 beds. Leiferman added that construction will take a year and a half, with the new hall expected to open for use in the spring of 2009.

DeCapua said ResLife and the Office of Admissions have discussed the potential effects of the temporary housing shortage on the incoming class of 2011.

"We have been talking to Admissions to keep the incoming class to a realistic number and not too explosive," DeCapua said.

However, both DeCapua and Leiferman said they think the construction of a new residence hall will help attract prospective students.

Both DeCapua and Leiferman said they are optimistic about the new residence hall, and DeCapua added he is not sad to see Ridgewood go.

"I lived there as transitional housing this summer," he said, "and I will not shed a tear."


This article originally refered to Jeremy Leiferman as the Assistant Director of Residence Life. He is actually the Associate Director.