“At the end of the day, it is all about the students. I am really happy about the completion of this project, and I am very grateful for all of those who have done so much work to make this happen.”
Steven Mauro, PhD
Members of the Alfred State community gathered to celebrate the completion of the MacKenzie Complex construction project. The multi-phase project has evolved and made new much of this residence hall that opened in 1973 as the largest residence hall in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
“I am proud to celebrate this milestone mostly because of the impact this project has on our students and their lives,” stated ASC President Steven Mauro.” Over the course of the last twenty years residence halls across the country have taken a new shape, they look less like residence halls and more like a home for our students. I feel like we are leading the way.”
The MacKenzie Complex renovation project was a $60 million initiative and part of $200 million in investments to campus from 2016 through 2026.
MacKenzie East, North, and South were totally renovated along with MacKenzie Commons, which features the restaurant TimberLinez, a fitness center, a laundry area, and multiple gathering spaces for studying and social interactions. The rejuvenation of MacKenzie West will also be completed this summer with updates including new bathroom fixtures and movie streaming lounges.
Senior Director of Residential and Cultural Life Matthew Ryan thanked all those on campus who were part of this project and pointed out that the lead architect and the junior architect on the project were both Alfred State graduates who lived in the MacKenzie complex.
“This project will allow us to expand our living learning communities, our athletic offerings, and we now have a special place for our students in the Summer Prep Academy (SPA) to live. We now have done some sort of remodeling in every residence hall since 2000.”
Student involvement and input has been part of the process of the renovations and will continue to be in future enhancements. A group of four graduating architecture students, Joanna Mussachio, John Snyder, Colin Thompson, and Connor Weihoneig, met with community members and designed plans for future outdoor spaces in the MacKenzie West Courtyard that enhance the renovations indoors.
Their designs feature large gathering areas, seating areas, trellises, green spaces, murals, and a new metal mascot “Big Blue” the ox.
Weihoneig commented, “By adding these features outside of MacKenzie we are not only creating a space that is safe and welcoming for all students but also a place that students can call home.”
“At the end of the day, it is all about the students,” commented Mauro. “I am really happy about the completion of this project, and I am very grateful for all of those who have done so much work to make this happen.”
