Renovations in Stouffer Hall draw complaints from some Quad residents

Residents of the Quad expressed mixed reactions to the ongoing Stouffer College House renovations.

Some first years living in the Quad, which will soon undergo renovations, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that they have not found themselves affected by the adjacent Stouffer renovations and have not noticed the renovations occurring. However, some Quad residents have made complaints about the construction in Stouffer Hall, which is currently closed to residents due to internal and external renovations. 

Stouffer College House’s renovations began last May and will continue until August 2023. According to Penn Residential Services, the upcoming Quad renovations will begin in May 2023 and end in August 2026. The three College Houses in the Quad will be renovated one at a time with Riepe coming first, followed by Ware, and lastly Fisher-Hassenfeld.

To make the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Stouffer entrance is being moved from Woodland Walk to the corner of Spruce and 38th Street, providing increased accessibility to an elevator that will be installed. 

Existing staircases in Stouffer will also be converted into ramps, and a lift will be installed between the first floor and second floors. The Woodland Walk entrance next to the Quad is currently blocked off for construction.

College and Wharton first year Nathan Lang, who lives in Ware College House, said he has been impacted by the noise of the Stouffer construction. 

“I found the renovations to be loud in the mornings, especially if I have a class at 11 or 12, but I get woken up at nine," Lang said. "They start work very early some days randomly."

Lang added that he has also been impacted by the closing of Woodland Walk as a result of the construction.

“Most of my classes are in the biology buildings, and the walkway from the Quad to those buildings are blocked, so I have to take the long way to get to my classes," Lang said. 

College first year Riya Anand echoed Lang's sentiments, saying that the construction starts "super early" in the morning and wakes up her and her roommate frequently.

The $238.5 million Quad renovation project will include common space upgrades and single-use bathrooms. Elevators will be renovated to improve accessibility, and sinks will be removed from all bedrooms.

The Quad and Stouffer College House renovations were introduced in Feb. 2021 at a Board of Trustees meeting. In order for the renovations to take place, one college house within the Quad will be closed each year until construction is completed. First-year students who would have lived in the Quad will be placed into a four-year college house.

To address the effects of the Quad construction, Penn has entered into a three-year lease with The Radian, which will be an on-campus living option for upperclassmen from Aug. 2023 until Aug. 2026. Current Radian residents previously expressed concern to the DP about rising rent rates and housing policy changes as a result of the University's lease.