New residential hall complex now open

The new $185 million twin, eight-story residential hall complex opened Friday, Jan. 17 for students to officially move into and begin setting up their living spaces for the new semester.

Students who lived in Cedritos (Building 58), Alamitos (Building 22), Aliso (Building 23) and Palmitas (Building 57) Residence Halls were given the opportunity to move into the new halls, Sicomora (Building 73) and Secoya (Building 74). 

The residence halls project has been in the works for a few years now, having been approved by the California State University Board of Trustees on Feb. 1, 2017. 

Many residents moved into the same type of room they previously had in the old dorms. However, if a resident moved from a triple to a double or single room, there was no price hike.

Students noted the effort that the administration put into the moving process.

“From checking out, moving boxes, to finally moving out of the building, you could tell they had put effort into all of the planning,” said Junaid Bodla, first-year aerospace engineering student. 

Students were provided with five moving boxes and instructed to leave said boxes in their old dorm rooms. A moving company would transport the boxes to the new halls.

The moving company that aided with the move was hired by Cal Poly Pomona at an estimated $162,000, as previously reported by The Poly Post. 

Compared to the old dorms, there are plenty of new amenities for students to look forward to in the new halls.

“Designed to foster community and provide multiple opportunities for socializing, each residence hall has two wings and each of those includes a large community living room, a smaller, more informal living space, a study room and an end-of-the-hallway study nook,” stated Todd London, director of housing operations. 

There are also bigger community kitchens located in each building, which are equipped with a refrigerator, microwave and stove. There will be a bigger laundry room, more bathrooms and several dining options and more seating available in the dining hall area. 

The community spaces inside the residence halls also offer an overview of the San Gabriel Mountains and the city of Chino Hills.

“(The dorms) are honestly amazing. It’s almost like a four-star hotel,” said Max De Los Reyes, a second-year construction engineering and management student who is one of the resident advisors in the new dorms. “The new rooms are such an improvement from the older halls, which are becoming outdated by the day. There’s more accommodation for people living in triples and there’s even singles available now.”

With such an enormous project, there was often confusion during the move, but some students believe that the small problems were worthwhile in the end. 

“It’s been an incredibly long process with all the moving and paperwork, and there was plenty of confusion and things that went a little wrong with the move, but ultimately these buildings are astounding, and it’s all definitely been worth it to me,” De Los Reyes said. 

University Housing Services will be moving into the first floor of the Secoya Hall (Building 74) in order to be more accessible to residents.