Before the papers were signed making the hospital complex part of Benedictine College, the administration had plans in the works for how the space could best be used.
The addition of the hospital complex will increase office and classroom space and offer a new on-campus housing option. Students, faculty and staff will have adjustments to make and, according to Vice President of Student Life Linda Henry, the addition will “redefine what the campus is.”
Christen Jones, assistant dean of students, is looking forward to having more on-campus housing.
“I’m excited to be able to offer our students more on-campus housing,” Jones said. “It’s going to be a really nice housing option.”
Henry stated that the location of the new facilities makes it particularly useful. Expanding the campus across Second Street creates some logistical issues but the hospital is right across the street from the Amino Center," and very close to McDonald Hall and the new row houses presently under construction further down Second Street.
“As the Cray building is vacated, we’ll get more information to students,” Henry said. Both she and Jones anticipate offering tours of the new dorms before room draw.
Matt Fassero, director of operations, thinks the new dorms on the top floor of Cray Manor will offer an excellent housing option for approximately 40 students. The new dorm will have its own hall director, according to Jones and Henry.
The manor will also house three relocated academic departments along with classrooms and laboratories. Fassero also envisions a dining area with a setup similar to the Grab n’ Go currently operating in the Student Union. The dining option will benefit not only the students who are grabbing lunch between classes at Cray but also residents of McDonald and students who find themselves in or near the Amino Center at the lunch hour.
Heavy truck traffic, lack of sidewalks and other logistics are all topics being discussed by planners.
“In the project plan is to work with the city to get sidewalks on both sides of Second Street,” Fassero said.
Fassero will be meeting with Atchison police chief Mike Wilson to address traffic concerns. Heavy truck traffic from a nearby quarry is common on Second Street.
“I will be talking to the police chief to see if there is anything he can do to help us on that,” Fassero said.
Fassero also indicated that an extra security officer would be added at night to help patrol the substantially larger area.
Security strategies also involve access to certain floors.
“The plan is to have card access,” Fassero said. Although there will be a common entrance, there will be restricted access to the floors so that only authorized people can have access to offices and classrooms after hours. The dorm floor will also have card readers as do other dorms to control and monitor who is entering the area.
