‘Fresh and new': Three Rollins College projects changing campus landscape

Yahoo

23-02-2025

The walking path Rollins College senior Belle Daoust used to take from a parking garage to classes is blocked off these days by a massive blue fence that separates a large-scale construction project from the rest of the Winter Park campus.
The construction means a slightly longer walk to her classes, but Daoust said she doesn't mind because of what's to come once those fences come down: A new mixed-use community called East End Neighborhood that will house Rollins' newest residence hall.
'It's going to be an improvement for campus,' she said. 'I would rather they take the time and money to actually improve our buildings and make new ones that are safer for everyone, than to go through and try to keep old stuff.'
The new residence hall is one of three major projects currently underway at Rollins. The others are an overhaul of the library and construction of a new golf and tennis center.
The projects, with a price tag of more than $85 million, are slated to be completed this summer and next.
Rollins officials say the work is necessary to rehabilitate aging buildings, add new amenities and provide more residential space at a college that requires students to live on campus for three years. The projects are the biggest for Rollins since the $71-million Lakeside Neighborhood, a residential community for 500 students, was completed in 2021.
'This is birthed out of a master plan for the college,' said Jeremy Williamson, Rollins assistant vice president of facilities services. 'This is part of a strategic plan for a three-year live-on for our students.'
Nestled on about 3.5 acres along Fairbanks Ave. and adjacent to Dinky Dock Park, the $71.7 million East End Neighborhood is the largest of the projects.
Williamson described East End as a 'living, learning community' where students will be able to spend time together in and out of class. The facility will house nearly 300 students and include residences, a community kitchen and a classroom. It will be built in a Spanish Mediterranean style that matches the rest of the campus' architectural aesthetic.
East End Neighborhood will replace the former 80-bed residential building Holt Hall, the Bert W. Martin Tennis Complex and a campus safety auxiliary building.
Rollins senior Eltavious Johnson, vice president of the student government association, said he's excited about the new facility.
'The array of styles, from single or double rooms to more affordable options, is going to be so cool,' Johnson said.
A new tennis and golf center is being built near the southwest corner of campus to replace the demolished courts. It will host men's and women's varsity teams.
Johnson, also a manager for the men's tennis team, said the former tennis complex was modern when the courts were dedicated in 1989 but was showing signs of age and needed to be updated.
'Something fresh and new needed to come,' he said. 'Our juniors, sophomores and freshman are really excited to christen those courts next season.'
The 9,961-square-foot, $10 million facility will feature six new courts and a golf simulator room. The project, which began last August, is expected to be completed late this summer.
Kennedy Porter, a first-year student who grew up in Winter Park, knew the Rollins campus well even before she enrolled because both her parents attended and her family lived nearby.
She was worried what the construction would mean on campus, particularly the work on Olin Library, built in 1985 and undergoing updates to its exterior, including new roofing and windows, repairs to the stucco and a new paint job.
When the work began on her second day of classes in August, Porter expected loud noises and awkward operating hours, but she was thrilled to find out it didn't impact her much.
'I thought it was going to be annoying and then I walked in and everything was fine,' Porter said. 'You can't really hear anything in there, so it doesn't have a high impact. I haven't heard anyone else complaining either,' she added.
Jay Stadler, Rollins facilities project manager, said crews operate around the schedule of the students and campus events to eliminate as many distractions as possible during construction.
'We concentrate on midterms, finals, quiet times, special events,' he said. 'We're really leaving a lot of the operations of the library in within the operations of the project.'
The ultimate goal, Stadler said, is to reset the building's exterior to the condition it was in 40 years ago when first constructed.
'We can start the clock again,' he said. 'You shouldn't have to touch this building's exterior for decades.'
As a senior, Daoust said she will graduate later this year and won't get to enjoy the benefits of the new facilities — but she's glad future Rollins students will.
'I'm a fan of the projects,' she said. 'I think Rollins working to improve the experience of the future student body is always important.'