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WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY HOLDS GROUNDBREAKING FOR NEW RESIDENCE HALL William Paterson University held a groundbreaking ceremony on August 9 to celebrate the beginning of construction of Century Hall, a new 280-bed residence hall. "This building is symbolic of the bridge between the twentieth century and the twenty-first century," said William Paterson University President Arnold Speert in dedicating the construction site for the $9.2 million facility, which will stand on the crest of a hill adjacent to Hillside Hall on the road that connects the Recreation Center and Caldwell Plaza. "It represents the fact that William Paterson University believes a strong residential community is a vital component of the institution, and reaffirms our commitment to student success." Scheduled for occupancy in September 2000, Century Hall will bring the University's residential capacity to nearly 2,300 students. Designed by architect Gilbert Seltzer of Gilbert Seltzer Associates, the four-story suite-style facility will be pre-wired for Internet access and completely barrier-free to provide for wheelchair accessibility. The building will also include a laundry room, meeting room, and computer room. Its brick exterior will closely resemble that of adjacent Hillside Hall. The entire cost of the construction is
funded by bonds issued through the New Jersey Educational Facilities
Authority. Both Moody's and Standard & Poor's recently
upgraded their credit ratings for the University in connection
with the issuance of the bonds; Moody's assigned the University
an A2 rating, while Standard & Poor's assigned its A+ rating
to the University.
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