Rider updates campus over summer break

By Caroline Haviland

Each year when the familiar campus buzz dies down and students head home for summer break, Rider seizes the opportunity to make renovations and updates. 

Michael Reca, vice president of university operations, spearheaded numerous projects the facilities team set out to complete before students flooded back in for the fall semester. 

Straightening up

The university used the funds from the parking permit fee instituted in fall 2023 to repave the campus’ south road and Alumni Drive, which are located adjacent to Rider’s commuter lot, and replace sidewalks in various locations across the campus. The fee also ensured any faded parking lot lines, handicap spots and fire lanes were repainted. 

For safety reasons, various trees and overgrown bushes hindering walkways were trimmed or removed.  

The Cavalla Room received new flooring, paint and sound panels, making it one of the summer’s bigger projects. 

The “non-glamorous stuff,” Reca added, includes replacing boiler equipment and installing a new mechanism for the elevator in the Fine Arts building, which frequently broke down. Through a grant with the Presser Foundation, the Fine Arts building also received a new music classroom with better sound and aesthetics. 

Fourteen classrooms in various academic buildings received upgraded technology, including projectors, processors and television screens. 

The wrestling team’s practice room, located in the Canastra Health and Sports Center, will be expanded and renovated as the team widens its roster, Reca said.

SGA’s impact 

Student Government Association Student Body President Christina Natoli worked alongside Reca and facilities to voice any concerns from the student population and help make some of these projects come to fruition. 

“Their team is always very willing to listen to our feedback and help us establish a game plan of how to address any concerns,” said Natoli. 

The vice president of university affairs and the SGA’s facilities committee members meet with Reca and his team frequently to present ideas reflecting the voices of the campus community. 

“It’s a collaborative effort where they come to us and we talk about what’s feasible,” said Reca. “We blend what we’re looking for with our master plan and we’ll partner with them on certain aspects, such as the recent renovations to the Cavalla Room and the new seating in the [residential quad].”