Balcony fixes should be complete by summer 2026
By Rachel Prior, April 28, 2026
University Housing Services began repairing balconies in the Residential Suites March 9 after closing just over 40% of 194 balconies for being structurally unsound more than a year ago.
While eight balconies closed for similar reasons in spring 2024, an additional 72 balconies closed for safety issues in January 2025. Repairs are expected to continue through the remainder of spring semester, with an anticipated completion date between late May and early June, according to UHS.
“It’s been closed off since the beginning of the school year when we moved in,” said Shreya Nibandhe, a biotechnology student and resident of the suites. “We saw the sign on the door saying we weren’t allowed to go out until repairs were completed, but the repairs didn’t start until recently.”
UHS added full balcony closures are necessary while construction is underway. In an email to The Poly Post, UHS Executive Director Jon Merchant said scaffolding installation and ongoing demolition require entire sections to remain closed to ensure safety for both residents and contractors.
“As demolition progresses, contractors may also uncover conditions that were not visible during earlier inspections,” Merchant wrote. “Maintaining full balcony closures during this phase allows any newly identified concerns to be addressed immediately and safely.”
The Poly Post reported in May 2025 that University Services and Facilities Planning and Management originally planned to repair the balconies last summer. These repairs have come almost a year later, which frustrated students.
“I feel like they tell you it’s going to happen and then it doesn’t,” said Andrea Urena, another resident and a sociology student.
Merchant previously told The Poly Post there were multiple structural issues with the Residential Suites balconies that needed repair, including split wood beams, old sealant and loose wire cabling on the balcony railings.
While at the time, Merchant said these balcony closures should not cause any major issues for students, Makenzie Sigman, a criminology student living in the residential suites, said the closures has affected her day-to-day living experience, especially as balconies are a primary source of airflow. “All of our windows are really hard to open,” Sigman said. “So, it’s basically impossible to get airflow without it.”
Outside of necessity, students said the closures take away from the suite experience they expected when deciding to live on campus. For example, Nibandhe said she imagined being able to have her morning coffee outside on her balcony.
The construction noise is another problem students cited, and Urena said the experience has even influenced her future housing decisions.
“The banging from construction woke us all up the other day,” Urena said. “It’s already taken (UHS) a year to start, so I don’t understand why they couldn’t wait until summer when there are fewer students here.”Nibandhe also pointed to a lack of clear communication from housing officials regarding the whole process.
“I don’t know what’s getting repaired,” Nibandhe said. “I don’t know when it’s going to be done. I don’t know anything about it.”
According to UHS, construction is scheduled Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. The work includes replacing parts of the balcony structure, such as boards, cables, nails and screws, as well as repainting all balcony exteriors.
While the UHS claim the project is on schedule, some students are skeptical, referencing past delays with other campus maintenance issues.
“I’m not really optimistic,” Urena said. “I feel like they let us down a lot.”
Feature image courtesy of Rachel Prior
