Cal Poly officials are planning to build a 1,400-bed dormitory next to the Grand Avenue entrance to campus and across the street from a residential neighborhood amid opposition from neighbors. [KSBY]
The university plans to build the dorm on an existing parking lot at the corner of Grand Avenue and Slack Street. The proposed facility includes a welcome center, a coffee shop and a 300-car garage to mitigate the loss of parking spots.
At a forum announcing the plans Wednesday evening, neighbors expressed opposition to the proposed location of the dorm.
Joe Arsenio, who lives near campus, said the dorm belongs deeper into the campus near Poly Canyon Village.
“The sort of the ranging about on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in search of drinking parties would be less of an influence than it would be if it was on the corner of our street,” Arsenio said.
Cal Poly administrators said they want to increase the number of students living on campus, in particularly freshmen. Currently, about 30 percent of students live on campus.
In order for the university to build the dorm, it must gain approval from the Cal State University Board of Trustees. If that occurs on schedule, construction could begin in late 2015.
