It’s time to dig
in at Holy Family

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Not too many years ago, a modern college dormitory would house two people in a small room with bathroom and shower facilities down the hall.
"Today, that would never cut the mustard," said Jim Cornwell, the principal at Metro Architects.
Cornwell is the architect for Holy Family University’s latest proposed student residence.
University president Sister Francesca Onley last week joined others in a ceremonial groundbreaking for a five-story building with a basement. It’ll be located on ground that is presently a softball field.
The softball season is over, and the team will move to a new field next year on Route 13 in Bensalem.
Work will begin on Monday on the building, which will house 140 students. The project should be completed in a year and will cost $18 million to $20 million. The trees removed to build it will be replaced.
"I can’t wait to have our students move in," said Brett Buckridge, director of residence life at the university.
The expansion is the first of three phases. The other proposed buildings will be home to a total of 210 students.
At present, about 200 Holy Family students live in two buildings and 12 neighborhood duplexes. The vast majority of students commute, but many have expressed an interest in on-campus housing.
"Students want the full experience," Sister Francesca said.
"We draw students from other states, and we need to house them. And we have an international effort. And we even have students who live close by who’d like to stay on campus."
Each suite will house four students, who will share two bedrooms, a bathroom and a common area. Rooms will include tables, desks and wardrobes. The single beds can be bunked to create more room.
The brick-and-glass building will be equipped with elevators, heating and air-conditioning units and security and fire protection systems.
There will be a game room, exercise room, television room, quiet study room, kitchen, vending machines and washers and dryers on every floor. Students will use a programmed access card, not a key, to enter the building and their rooms.
"It’s state of the art in terms of amenities," said Tom Falvey, president of TN Ward Company Builders, the general contractor.
The company has worked to renovate and build most everything on Holy Family’s campuses at 9801 Frankford Ave. and in Newtown, Bucks County, since 1986.
The construction vehicles and equipment will enter and exit off Frankford Avenue at Stevenson Lane. There should be no disruption to local residents, since the project is far removed from Grant Avenue.
The university worked with neighbors, the architect and the builder for three years to develop the interior and exterior looks of the building, with financing a key factor. An adjacent soccer field will remain.
Cornwell said the final design gives Holy Family the maximum "bang for the buck" and should help the university boost enrollment.
"Colleges compete for kids based upon the amenities they provide," he said.
The May 6 groundbreaking attracted Dennis Colgan, chairman of Holy Family’s board of trustees; Sister Sally Marie Kiepura, provincial supervisor for the Illinois-based Holy Family Province; and aides to U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, state Sen. Mike Stack and City Councilman Brian O’Neill.
The Rev. James MacNew, the campus minister, led a prayer service and blessed the construction site.
Sister Francesca explained that a parking garage will complement the new structure and that her long-term plans include a new school of business.
"We can’t stop," she said. "We exhale, move on and raise funds for the next effort." ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com