Published: July 08, 2008 11:39 pm      

NCCC: College's new housing complex ready to open its doors

SANBORN — Students attending Niagara County Community College in the fall won’t have to deny themselves the opportunity to live on campus and get the “college experience,” anymore.

The college is about to open the doors to its new campus housing suites for students to move in — but these aren’t the college dormitories of the past.

With a full-sized refrigerator, double sink, microwave and oven installed in a spacious kitchen that leads into a living area, NCCC officials like to think the atmosphere is much more like an apartment.

“You hear nearly the same thing from every parent who ever lived in a dorm, ‘Boy, they didn’t have this when I went to school. I’d love to live here,’ ” said James Klyczek, college president. “And it isn’t a dorm, it’s a suite setup, so anywhere from one to four students share a space. It really is apartment living.”

The new housing will accommodate up to 308 students in suites of up to four. The suites will be furnished with a kitchen table, living room couch with a coffee table and bedroom entertainment cabinet. Each student will also get a bed, desk and three-drawer dresser.

A suite of four single bedrooms with two bathrooms will cost $6,500 per student while a suite of two double-occupancy bedrooms with one bathroom will cost $4,900 per student. A suite of two private bedrooms with one bathroom will cost $7,200 per student. Rates include access to cable television, Internet, heating and air conditioning.

Construction on the facilities, which cover a 12-acre parcel on NCCC’s Sanborn campus, is still being completed for the fall semester, but finished “model apartments” are open for tours during open houses or by appointment.

“We’re 50 percent occupied for the start of the year, which is good, considering we’re still building the facilities,” said Bassam Deeb, vice president of student services. “The students tend to make decisions a little later than we would like but, nevertheless, we expect registration to pick up over the next 30 days or so.”

All rooms are expected to be filled by the time the fall semester begins, Deeb said.

Amenities will include a 1,000-square-foot fitness center, a lounge with a large fireplace, and something unique — a soundproof music room.

“Students who are just coming out of high school who’ve been in band or an orchestra, they maybe couldn’t practice their viola with people around,” Klyczek said. “So, we have a beautiful music room that is built to soundproof specifications. There students can go in play music and they can do it whenever they want.”

Security personnel provided by United Group Management, the company developing the project, will staff the three-story housing complex overnight, and resident assistants and property managers will oversee operations during the day. All students will have ID card access to enter the building and locks for their bedroom doors.

The college has spent $19.3 million on the project, which was funded mostly through private bonds, and is looking to add two more housing facilities to total about 750 beds for students. It will likely be at least a year before the college starts working on building its second housing facility, Deeb said.

Klyczek is hoping the presence of resident-students will change the college for the better.

“You develop different friendships and attachments, whether it’s within your own suite, floor wing, whatever,” he said. “Those students will get more involved with student activities, clubs and student government, so I think that will change the nature of the campus.”

Those interested in scheduling a tour of the model apartments should contact Dennis Viera at 598-1494.

Contact reporter Caitlin Murray at 282-2311, ext. 2251.