Stony Brook U to reopen dorm that had been damaged by storm
Water is pumped out of Ammann Hall at Stony Brook University on Aug. 22 after storm. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
One of the two Stony Brook University residence halls knocked out of service during a late August storm will reopen and welcome students Oct. 11, according to an email sent to campus residents Monday.
The move means that some students who had been forced to live in a triple may soon be able to have more space.
"We are pleased to announce that Ammann Hall will reopen for occupancy on Friday, October 11, helping to reduce the density in temporary triple spaces across campus and providing a more comfortable living environment for students," read the email from Campus Residences.
About 200 students will be able to move in. Interim Stony Brook University President Richard McCormick had said last week that the storm knocked out more than 470 beds.
The university had to force dozens of students into triple rooms after the Ammann and Gray residence halls closed. Some students also were housed in a nearby hotel.
The email did not specify when Gray Hall would be back in service, but university officials said it could likely reopen for the spring semester.
Monday’s email said that the students who will be able to move in will include those originally assigned to Ammann or Gray halls who had been reassigned to a temporary triple. Other students in forced triples may also be impacted.
After the strong storm hit the campus, the university increased its number of triple rooms, offered a housing cancellation bonus to students and moved some students to a nearby hotel.
Residential space has been an issue at Stony Brook, which welcomed the largest incoming class of first-year undergraduates in the school’s history this fall with more than 4,000 students having enrolled, a 13% increase from last year.
Before the flooding, 274 rooms were tripled — for a total of 822 residents. Afterward, that number increased to more than 420 rooms, for a total of 1,278 residents.
A total of 55 students took a $5,000 bonus that was offered by the university to cancel their housing after the storm.
The email also said that because of ongoing repairs, Ammann’s lower level, including the laundry room, kitchen and lounge, will not be available and students can use facilities in nearby halls.
Students may hear occasional noise because of the repairs but any work will begin after 8 a.m., the email said.
University officials told Gov. Kathy Hochul during an August visit that repair costs from the storm could run more than $22 million. Damage included up to 9 feet of water in the basement of some dorms, seven elevators disabled and other academic buildings impacted.
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
