St. Thomas first-year students moved into a newly remodeled Dowling Hall the weekend before the classes began, from its neighbor, Brady Hall, to start the spring semester.
Dowling was closed to students during the fall 2021 semester to accommodate construction. The upgraded building now features amenities like new carpets, windows and updated basement lounges that come complete with pingpong tables and plush sofas, marking a new era for the 61-year-old residence hall.
“I’m really liking all the new furniture and the study lounges,” Brooke Vandervoort, a first-year who moved into Dowling, said. “In Brady, we just had the one community lounge, so it’s nice to have more spaces to chill out and do homework.”
Student bedrooms and community bathrooms received significant remodeling as well, including more private showers and single-person bathrooms. Rather than traditional keys, residents must now use student IDs to unlock bathrooms and dorm rooms. According to Vandervoort, this has made the bathrooms far more private.
“The renovation of Ireland Hall and the new construction of Tommie North and Frey Hall allowed us to transition from key access to a card/proxy access into all resident rooms, bathrooms, and study/lounge spaces.” Aaron Macke, the associate dean of students and director of Residence Life, said in an email. “We continued this system into Dowling Hall and will also be adding it to Brady Hall.”
Brady Hall is next on the list for renovations, as the university will begin remodeling the dorm and hopes to reopen it in the fall.
Students were allotted two hours to move into the hall and while some were concerned with the tight time frame, Vandervoort said she was able to finish with help from some friends and family.
Construction is mostly complete but continues in the fireside lounge leading to the upper quad and a lounge and staircase in the south side basement. Students still have access to a kitchenette, laundry and other lounges in the basement.
“This work will likely be completed by the end of March or early April,” Macke said about the ongoing construction. “Once the weather warms up this spring and possibly over the summer, we will be able to finish some exterior work, including landscaping.”
Elijah Todd-Walden can be reached at todd5861@stthomas.edu.
Rori West can be reached at rori.west@stthomas.edu.