Builder’s rendition of the University House, 605 East 9th Street dorm project

It was once an affordable home for beat poets like Allen Ginsberg and American post-World War II playwrights including the likes of Kenneth Koch, but in recent years the increasingly pricey East Village in New York has become overrun by yuppies. Now the old neighborhood is changing, yet again, with college housing coming to the East Village.

Developer Gregg Singer is spending $16 million to convert a former public school into a 23-storey college dormitory, University House, in the East Village of Manhattan.

“The former New York City elementary school will be transformed into a modern, amenity-rich home designed, built and managed for 535 students for New York’s participating colleges and universities. Safety and amenities are our top priorities,” Singer announced on the University House website.

Several Colleges will Share the Facility

A consortium of universities will share the large, modern 222,520 square feet University House facility. Students from Cooper Union, Joffrey Ballet and universities nearby will be able to secure housing designed, operated and managed for students at affordable rents.

There will be single room suites and double room suites, all of which will have attached kitchens and bathrooms.

Dorm with a View

The residence hall will provide views of Tompkins Square Park to the west and the East River to the east, providing sun drenched living spaces for all its college-going inhabitants.

Amenities Galore

University House will have an outdoor garden, basketball court, a fitness center, a yoga studio, common study rooms hardwired with Internet access outlets, music practice rooms, games room with pool tables, TV lounge, laundry room, and bicycle storage room. The lobby will have a package receiving room and 24-hour security officer.

Suites will have a closet for each student, bed, dresser, desk, bookshelves, dining table and chairs. Double bed suites will also have a couch and tables in the living area. The high ceilings and oversized windows will allow  light to flood into the rooms which will all be centrally heated and air-conditioned. Hook-ups for cable, phone line, and high-speed data connected to the college intranet system and Internet, will be included in the rent. Students can expect the works in terms of swish appliances from fridges to electric ovens.

Safety First

The building will have security guards round the clock and surveillance cameras in the common areas.

The 605 East 9th Street dorm project should wrap up in time for the 2016-2017 school year.
 

Uttara Choudhury is Editor, North America for TV 18’s Firstpost news site. In 1997, she went on the British Chevening Scholarship to study Journalism in the University of Westminster, in London. 

Tags: University House, East Village, New York, Cooper Union, Joffrey Ballet