Selective Lower West Cedar Renovations Cause Confusion

The selective renovations of the Lower West Cedar townhouses have many residents feeling confused and angered by the decision. 

The Lower West Cedar townhouses. Photo by Kiersten Buckley ('25)

When some sophomores moved into their Lower West Cedar townhouses this past August, they were surprised to see that their kitchen and flooring looked brand new. They soon found out that their townhouses were renovated over the summer.

It was an exciting discovery for some students, but others moved into their Lower West townhouses to find that it looked the same as years past and had not been renovated. There was no announcement that a renovation was happening, so many students heard about the news through gossip and speculation during move-in day. 

Jasmine Chen ’25 moved in on Aug. 28 to a typical, non-refurbished Lower West Cedar house. “I was expecting that all of the housing would be the same,” said Chen. “When I came back from break, I was surprised to hear from people that other houses were renovated, but not ours. We are still paying the same amount for the same housing.” 

So, was there a renovation, or is it all just college gossip? Resident Director Douglas Woolever confirms that, yes, renovations did indeed take place. “Over the summer, the S and N blocks, the entire first floor, was pretty much completely gutted,” he explains, “They took down the drywall and replaced it. They’ve put in new flooring and replaced all the cabinets and appliances. So there’s a fridge, oven, and dishwasher.” 

“We did not know that it was gonna be renovated,” says Hanna Zabski ’25, whose unit was renovated. Two of her housemates, Kara Clark ’25 and Gillian Kimball ’25, smile and nod in agreement as they rave about how much they love the renovations. Their townhome’s first floor and kitchen now have new flooring, refrigerators, sinks, cabinets, a dishwasher, an oven and a new color scheme.

But why were some units renovated while others were not? This is the question of many Lower West Cedar residents’ minds since the majority of housing units have not been altered. Woolever says, “I think it’s just, these have been here for a while and have not really been touched. I don’t know exactly when the Cedars were constructed, but they haven’t really been renovated since, so it’s about time!”

“I feel bad because I’m grateful that our house is renovated, but why didn’t they just do it all in one sweep,” Zabski asked. “I mean, I don’t think any of the Lower West houses are bad, but every time someone comes in here, they’re like, “Oh my god, this house just looks so different.” Clark chimes in and states, “And I still think it’s weird that it was only the first floor. They didn’t do anything to the top floor”. 

Zabski, Clark, and Kimball's refurbished kitchen. Photo by Kiersten Buckley ('25)

This news comes almost a year after mold was reported in some Lower West Townhouses. Found in places such as the shower curtains and vents, students reported the mold to the office of Housing and Residential Life. Some students were satisfied with Housing’s response, while others felt it was lackluster. Despite this, Woolever asserts that the mold found in townhouses last year did not affect the decision to update the houses. He also confirms that no mold has been reported in any of the Lower West units so far. 

When asked about life in Lower West Cedar townhouses in general, Thomas Tricoli ’25 says, “I really like it; even though mine’s not renovated, I still really like the space.” 

It’s this same positive attitude that it seems most residents have acquired. Students enjoy townhouse living with their friends even if their houses were not updated. 

Additionally, future Lower West residents can rest easy knowing that the townhouses will all be updated in the future. Woolever said, “they’re going to be working their way around through the next few summers to renovate all of them.” There was also mention of renovating the Upper West Cedar townhouses over the next few summers. It was not confirmed which exact units would be up next to be refurbished.