Oneida Hall, a residence building in College-in-the-Woods that housed first-year students, will undergo a critical renovation project and is expected to reopen for the fall 2026 semester.

The building was shut down over the summer for ongoing demolition work and asbestos abatement. The complete renovation will include replacements of the plumbing, electrical, mechanical and fire alarm systems and updated flooring, ceiling, lighting and furnishings. The construction will be similar to previous projects completed at Seneca, Cayuga and Onondaga Hall.

Built in 1973, Oneida Hall is among the oldest residence halls on campus, alongside buildings like Old Rafuse Hall, which was built in 1958 as part of the original Dickinson Community, now Old Dickinson. After undergoing its own renovations, Old Rafuse Hall reopened to students in 2024.

“It is one of the worst on campus in my opinion, because Binghamton has some pretty nice dorms overall,” Brigitte Tisenchek, a sophomore majoring in biology, said about Oneida Hall, where she lived last year. “In comparison with Dickinson or Mountainview rooms, it can’t even compete.”

This renovation is one of many construction projects across campus. A new 350-bed residence hall will be built between College-in-the-Woods and the rest of Mountainview College. Additionally, crews are preparing land for a new lecture hall, adding a 75,000-square-foot addition to the East Gym and erecting a new Chenango Room building that will house a Panera Bread.

Tisenchek said she believed the Oneida Hall renovation was necessary but was unsure how the University would approach it. She added that the construction around campus has become an “eyesore” that “takes away from the natural beauty of the area.”

Sophia Paone, an undecided sophomore, also lived in Oneida Hall as a freshman. While she said the building was “very old” and lacked several amenities, she loved its convenient location and “close knit community.”

“I have no problem with the renovation that is happening in the Oneida building,” Paone added. “I think it’s great because the building, compared to other CIW buildings, is extremely outdated and needed some TLC.”

Closing Oneida Hall has decreased the amount of on-campus housing available, according to Casey Wall, the University’s director of residential life and housing. Some freshmen must live in super occupancy housing, an arrangement where three students share a double room or three or four students are assigned to a lounge.

According to the Residential Life website, it is a “temporary configuration” while the office works to assign students to standard rooms.

“The demand for on-campus housing continues to be high, while continuing to renovate existing residence halls remains a priority for the university,” Wall wrote.

Oneida Hall offered suites and corridor-style dorms to about 320 students. According to the building’s webpage, it was designed to foster strong connections between first-year students, like social and academic lounges on every floor and a multi-purpose center that provided direct access to support staff.

“I met two of my best friends in Oneida and I’m so happy to have been in that dorm my freshman year,” wrote Paone. “I think it helped ease me into life at Binghamton University.”