Gannon University is opening a new door, but first it has to close an old one.
Gannon is introducing a new addition to the Carneval Athletic Pavilion, replacing Crispo Apartments, where nearly 100 upperclassmen currently reside.
The add-on to the CAP will be ready for use during the fall semester, according to maintenance supervisor Josh Eberle.
“This is a pretty quick transition for Gannon,” he said.
Crispo is home to 91 upperclassmen, mainly sophomores.
Kelly Corcoran, a sophomore occupational therapy major, said she is living off campus next year, but she is concerned for the future sophomores and people who choose to live on campus in the future.
“They are going to have one less place to live,” Corcoran said. “Where are they going to put those people?”
Denise Bakerink, director of the Office of Student Living, said a decision on Crispo residents’ placement in the housing lottery has yet to be determined.
“We will definitely work with them so they get a satisfactory living situation,” said Bakerink.
Rachael Watts, a sophomore early childhood and special education major, said she had no idea Gannon was knocking Crispo down.
“Even though I did not plan on renewing my apartment, I feel like we should have been advised,” Watts said.
Watts and Corcoran said they were not advised on Gannon’s demolition of the building, and they claimed their neighbors have been in the dark, too.
Shanice Mohawk, a junior sports management and marketing major, said that it would have been nice to get a heads-up about the tear down, yet she said she isn’t too worried about it.
“I’m not concerned about where I’ll live next year because Crispo was my last choice of apartments,” Mohawk said.
On the other hand, Danielle Ward, a sophomore business administration major, said she doesn’t feel that she should have been advised.
“Everyone has to move out at the end of the year anyways, so it wouldn’t be any more of an inconvenience for us students,” Ward said.
“My residence director asked me if I intend on living on or off campus next year, but I haven’t received any information regarding the demolition of Crispo.”
Ward said she plans on living on campus next year in either Freeman or Wickford apartments.
Eberle said the university has identified other places on campus that have vacancies, such as West Hall, Kenilworth and Walker apartments.
Contractors will demolish Crispo the week of May 20 and begin work on the new addition to the CAP a week after that.
The first phase of the CAP center is to renovate and add on to the main lobby, Eberle said.
The gym will be expanded to to Sassafras Street with indoor Astroturf field.
Eberle also said that requests for the bids have been sent out, which will determine the cost at a later date.
Additionally, Bakerink said that Gannon does not plan on making a new residence hall at this point because it does not find the situation worrying.
“We can accommodate our students with what we have right now,” Bakerink said.
