Expansion offers effective solution

More residences means less overcrowding — something that Queen’s is in desperate need of.

With the administration’s recent announcement that they’ll open two new residences on campus for fall 2015, the University is coming up with an effective solution to a problem they’ve had for over five years.

Currently, with 50 spots available at Confederation Place hotel for graduate students and with 98 first-years living in the JDUC, Queen’s residences are undeniably overcrowded.

This detracts from the Queen’s experience for many of the students. Those who live at the hotel are far removed from the Queen’s community, while those living in common rooms lived in cramped conditions.

While many are skeptical about the school spending $70 million on these new residences, it’s a more self-sustaining investment than others that have been made by the administration, such as the Queen’s Centre.

With students paying annual fees to live in residences, the new buildings will pay for themselves in time. There should be a degree of oversight from students and the larger Queen’s community to ensure that the project stays on budget. If this is done correctly, the benefits of these residences will outweigh the costs.

The location of the new residences has also sparked debate. Building one of the residences on Leonard Field raises question about limited recreational space on Main Campus.

Currently, Leonard Field serves as a quad for playing games of pick-up sports. Centrally located amongst the residence buildings, it’s one of the only social areas of this sort for first-years on Main Campus.

Students want to live on Main Campus, which is a more expensive and therefore more profitable option than West Campus.

Ultimately, building two residences on main campus makes the most financial sense for the

school right now.

With certain checks and balances put in place by the Queen’s community, these residences can be a worthwhile investment for Queen’s in the long run by diminishing overcrowding on campus in a fiscally responsible fashion.

— Journal Editorial Board

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