New London is celebrating a historic renovation in the heart of downtown. What was once an empty office space is now transformed into downtown dorms for college students at Connecticut College.
Connecticut College is celebrating their newest residence hall, located in the heart of downtown New London.
The college will be leasing the historic Manwaring building on State Street. The former office building, built in 1913, underwent a renovation this summer.
Next week, 60 Connecticut College students will move in to the 21-unit complex.
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The project was a public-private partnership and received $100,000 in grant funding from the City of New London. It's part of a larger effort to revitalize downtown and bring new life to long vacant buildings.
The building also helps Connecticut College resolve space shortages on campus. The college typically expects about 500 first-year students. This year, 660 students made deposits by the deadline, according to a press release.
"This project is a dream come true. Honestly, there have been so many years where we thought about what it would mean to have students living in the city of New London and it was kind of magic coming together," said Katherine Bergeron, president of Connecticut College.
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Representatives for the City of New London said they have also spent years dreaming of a project like this, working to find the right fit for the off-campus housing.
"It is really important - they really are now in our neighborhoods," said Felix Reyes, who leads the city's office of development and planning. "We are excited to see our college students walking downtown. Our businesses are excited and our residents are as well."
